The Lion King: The Third Age
by joevil2025
Summary: fifteen years after the acceptance of the outsiders, the orange clan of lions, includes the marraige of Kovu and Kaira, the birth of their daughter, and a new story starting with a lion family that will one day change the world.
1. Prolouge

Lion King: Third Age

Preview: Fifteen years after lion king 2, King Simba is getting on in his age, Kovu and Kiara are married and getting ready to become the new royal family when Simba passes, the yellow and orange clans of lions have combined, and the lion community has grown larger than ever filling up the pride lands. But our story is not yet within the royal family, but of another family, a family of four lions, and a certain lions adventure as he grows up, for as the prophecy speaks, a lion with dark eyes will come to rule the land, and his sons will save the world.


	2. Chapter 1

Prologue

Almost fifteen years after the second line king the pride and land has flourished, in Africa several lion packs have formed out of the union of all of them to create one giant working lion community. Out of one the mixed center of the land lives the family of lions known as Sartre, the family had a father Tatter from the orange clans and a mom Mattie from the yellow clans, an youngest son, Brae that looked like his father, and an older son Jake that was mostly like the yellow lions only with dark orange circles around his eyes.

Ch1: Jake woke up to the morning sun and smacked his chops; the sun blinded him for just a second. He lived in an average two story cave with a dozen or so lions, if not with their parents or outside the younger ones staid on the top floor most often. He looked around, no one was around the cave as far as he could see, and the sun outside the small hole in the wall told him it was at least two hours before lunch, he had missed breakfast. He got to his feet and shook out his fur, and trotted to he lower half of the cave.

There where a few adult lions lying around, none of his, and of course the cave guard for the time half awake watching the outside world go buy.

"Hey Jake, what's up?" the yellow guard asked

"Not much" the young nine year old lion nodded back, "seen my family?"

He laughed "you forget?" Jake just gave him a raise of his eyebrow, "yeah, it's the finals today! Your dads in it, remember?"

Jake gasped, "Oh darn!"

The tracks where full and usually this late in the race no one would have a chance getting in, but since he was a son of a racer he got into the pits. You see since growing ever large the lions have had to had some form of entertainment, there where plenty, Jake's father was a racer, one of the top of the fastest lions, they all kept in shape, had trainers, and ran around a track for a few hours.

Jake didn't find it too exciting, but it was the finals, he'd have to watch. He finally got to his mom in the pits, someone was replacing some leaves used for traction around his fathers foot, his dad winked at him, he nodded.

"Time you got here" his mom said, below her was his five year old brother who was watching everything with interest. His father took off again and disappeared amidst the other racing lions on the track, and started moving up the line almost immediately.

"Sorry, but no one bothered to wake me."

Another lion passed up there pits, and went into his own, he was limping pretty badly, some blood was running from between two of his back toes.

He had come in on the last quarter, not thirty minutes after he settled down the whistle was blown and each lion had to take a sit in there spot. Each pit crew and family was allowed to see the racers, while the crowd was allowed a break themselves.

"Doing great honey," Mattie said as they came up to him while he was getting a coconut shell full of water.

"Yeah" he panted "one hour to go, then tonight I think ill go hunting just for us, a whole wildebeest just for us!"

Midway through the twenty minute break the clear sky broke, Tatter laughed, "Well ill welcome the cool rain," he ruffled Jake's head, "should be some cool crashes if it gets hard enough too!"

"Nice" Jake smiled

And they where right, buy the time the last five laps were coming up it seemed a lightning flash ripped across the sky and opened it, it began to pour. Buy the fourth lap around the large track five lions where left able to run on the field, Tatter was one of them, his feet dug into the wet mud, the mud from his racing partners splashed up into his face and matted his fur.

The third lap was coming around, his elbows where aching, his ankles kept sinking into the mud and bringing his paws out of it every time he pushed forward he was now more leaping than running, but all five lions where pushing closely for first, and the crowd was still quite large for this weather, he had to win for his family, it was the finals after all.

The second came around, and he began to sense something strange, something was wrong he knew it, and he wasn't the only one, in some kind of cosmic psychic connection every parent has with there children Jake also began to sense something wrong as the lions took the last turn for the line that would signal the final lap.

And it all happened to go in slow motion after that final horn toot, the lions where almost all in a line, some slightly lagging behind the others. They began to push around the first turn, Tatter's head was pushed aside buy someone's rump and he snorted in surprise. He was so affixed on the runner who had knocked him back that he didn't see the one behind him begin to slide.

Only the crowd only saw what was happening, Mattie gasped and squinted as it all happened, Jake's eyes just became wider, the lion behind Tatter slid as the others took the turn, when the other lion bumped Tatter that had actually caused him a drastic drop in speed, his rear end slid as he lost a bit of traction, the lion behind him, a young yellow lion who had been racing for only two years, slid into and head butted Tatter in the side, the young lion heard several things crack before he fell, out cold, Tatter roared in pain baring all his teeth and fell on his side to the ground, his left side, the uninjured one, sinking into the mud. The fifth lion couldn't stop in time, he tripped over Tatter's neck and snapped his own ankle as well, falling into the mud head first and whipping his neck to the side.

The horn sounded as the last two racers crossed the finish line in the time it took everyone to realize what exactly had happened, and for Mattie to see her son running across the track to his father, "Jake, no!"

There was a rush to the accident, every emergency personal and trainer rushed to see if the lions had been injured. Jake struggled through the crowds, getting pushed face first into the mud many times. All he could think off was his father, his father had been rough and even downright mean on him at times, slapping if not hitting him around, but he still loved his father, he just hadn't mentioned it yet. In fact it had been two days ago when he and his dad where off of talking terms again, his father had began to scold him on his studies, harshly, hitting him around a little, when finally Jake gave in and told him he hated him. His father then blew up on that and pounced him, seemingly trying to crush his smaller form with his huge paw.

Even after that Jake didn't really want to see his father dead, he finally pushed through the crowd and got to his father, there was his trainer standing over him, his jaw agape, and his paw covering his mouth. Tatter was lying in the mud, his head was at a funny angle, his neck and his side was matted with blood, blood also ran out of his mouth, mixing with the fresh mud.

Tatter's eyes shot open, and through the blur he could see his son who walked up to him and rubbed his face onto his own, "Daddy…I'm sorry."

Tatter coughed and laughed, "No need, I'm such an ass, I'm the one who should be sorry." He felt a new wet sensation start to wet his cheek, his son was lying his face on his check, he was crying. "Don't cry Jakie, ill be fine dude, just a little accident." He coughed again, something dark and red came up with the rest of the blood, "I'll, I…lo-…." He sighed, his eyes dulled, and to Jake it's as if his smell, the smell of his life, even dulled.

When Mattie finally got through carrying her youngest she saw three people, her husband's trainer who was turned away, his wet matted mane covering his face, her husband down in the mud motionless, and her son, who sat hunched his back on his father. He looked at her with big eyes that told her all she needed to know, her husband was dead. She sat buy Jake and took him under her form, protecting him from the cold rain, the harsh lighting, and now the crowds as they began to check on the lost lion. And they sat there for what seemed an eternity as she wept for her husband.

Buy the time the next morning when they decided to hold burial services it still hadn't stopped raining, but everyone they knew attended, included all the racers of the accident. Tatter had been the only one seriously injured buy it, to the left of the family sat the lion who had hit him first, he had several wraps around his head, and neck, but he was able to move around fine, to their right was the lion who had tripped on him, he had a wooden brace on his neck. The two finishers where there too, they had eventually bowed to a tie for first place.

It was a cold, wet, and sad morning, with the rumble of thunder in the background, Jake and Brae sat under there mothers figure the whole time, and their mother wouldn't stop crying, Jake was done crying for a while, keeping it in, and just kept his younger brother entertained, Brae didn't even realize what was going on. When some of the older male lions started burying his father Jake finally just let go, he ran to the edge stopped from going over only buy one of the lions burying his father. This got some of the crowd going, some of the family crying even more, and his mother pulled him back under her.

After the funeral, with a muddy spot where his father had once been, they decided they where already soaked enough and headed home.

The harsh sun hit his eyes again, at first Jake thought it had all been a very bad dream and it was the day of the race all over again, but when he stretched he pushed his forehead against his mothers muzzle, she had cuddled against him last night, her muzzle was still wet from crying all night long. He got up and stretched out again, his brother was also asleep with her.

Jake though was matted with dry mud, in the two nights he hadn't been given a single bath and he doubt his mother was up to the job herself, he decided he'd go to a local watering hole, and take a swim. It was a nice sunny day after two days of rain, the ground was still moist and dew wet everything that was green, but it was hot and dry at the same time.

On his way to the watering hole he'd gotten lost, the grasslands where high thanks for two nights of rain, and the sun was humid thanks to the clear plains morning. As he looked up he saw he had gotten closer to pride rock, he had gone the total wrong way, but then he heard a splash. Just around the next corner was a watering hole he had never seen before, there where several lionesses around and some animals, all of them drinking or having fun. A lioness nosed him startling him.

"What cute little rings around your eyes, you're not from around here are you?"

"Uh, no, I went the wrong way searching for another watering hole." He started to back away, the way he came.

She laughed and nosed him back towards the water "well ok, this is one of the best ones in the pride though, so have fun while you're here, oh, and if you're lost maybe later ill help you get back to your family."

He nodded, and waded into the water, it was nice and cool, unlike most watering holes this one didn't seem to retain the sun's temperature, there where several other kids splashing around but he didn't feel like playing, he dived under the water, and let the small waves caress his back, dissolving the mud as it ran through his fur. Later when he came out he just sat in the shallow part of the water sulking over the past days events. His dad was dead, he had seen him pass, he had never seen anything die, even his meals where killed for him for now. It left him feeling empty, needing, something like if he was hungry, but not quite, he wanted to talk to his dad so bad right now, but at the same time that same feeling was reminding him he couldn't

He felt another, smaller nuzzle bump into his shoulder, jolting him out of his deep thoughts, it was a cub lioness, she was kind of cute, and Jake just looked into the water hoping his yellow fur didn't give away his blush.

"You look so glum, what's wrong?" she asked kindly.

He shook his head, "nothing"

Her deep blue eyes looked into him, like she was peering into his soul. She nudged him again, and then jumped up playfully, "Well since nothings wrong you'll have nothing against having lunch with me."

He gave her a quizzical look, then shook his head, "I- I couldn't, I'd be intruding."

"Don't be so silly, my parents always let me bring friends to lunch, you're my friend for today." She winked and bumped him on her way out of the water; he got up and shook the water off, and began to follow behind her, who was this strange girl?

She walked up to her parents, she didn't look it but apparently she was a mix, her mom and father looked familiar to him but he just guessed it was because they where like his own parents. Her mom was like her, a yellow lioness, though her eyes where a reddish brown, and her sit had a sense of high living and high standards about her. Her father was more of a rough guy looking type, and that's because he looked like a pure blood orange, he even had a scar on his face, made him look allot like the most infamous orange or royal lineage, scar.

"Mom, I got my friend." The girl said with Jake trailing behind her

The father grinned, "What trouble maker you bring this time?" he said in a tone that was either joking or menacing, Jake wasn't sure which.

Her mom nudged her dad, "Be quite honey, your making him nervous."

He laughed "Heh, I'm just joking kid, your alright, got us a zebra over here, help us finish it." After they finished the two kids went of into part of a wooded area to pounce and chase each other. The two adults laughed as they watched them closely.

The lioness leaned against her husband who put his head over hers "You know Kiara, they remind me allot of us when we where little."

"Oh please Kovu honey, they just met I'm sure." She starting to fall asleep on her husband, it was becoming a nice cool morning, a good morning for resting.

"Like we where much other the first time we plaid."

Jake ran around a tree, the sun was hidden behind the leaves and it was dark in the forest, he couldn't see her, he used his nose but she hid her sent well, but he tried his best. Roaring around another corner he pounced, a lizard. Then he felt her, at first it was just her paw but then her weight forcing him to the ground, her full body on top of his, he went down fast. When he opened his eyes she was looking at him from above, her front paws where on his, her body on top of his "hehe, I win!"

He could feel himself blushing again, and quickly slipped from under her warmth, "Yeah, you did, where you learn to pounce?"

"Could say it's in my family." They laughed and chatted as they trotted back to the other couple.

After the couple escorted Jake back to his cave and left, his mom came up with Brae, a sly smile on the corners of her muzzle as she sat his brother down. "And since when Jake been a friend of the high and mighty?"

"What?" he said, taking it as a joke.

"You don't know who that was?"

"Yeah, a girl named Sara and her parents."

She laughed and sat beside him as they watched them disappear around the brush further off, "Well my son, how was it playing with _Princess _Sara?"

"It was fun, just met her…what?"

"Heh, yep today you plaid with Princess Sara, met the wedded Princess Kiara and her husband Prince Kovu."

"They, she… related to King Simba?"

Mattie just laughed, "Come, I need you to look after Brae, I have to hunt up dinner on my own tonight."


	3. Chapter 2

Ch2:

Months had passed since the passing of his father, it was nearing his, his brothers, and one of his cousins birthday, and as every year the whole family of his got together near pride rock for celebration. He sat with his cousins and aunts and uncles. The group he spent his most time with was his cousins around his age, two of them where half lion and half spotted panther mixes. The spotted panthers, a black cat with white rings all around them, lived originally south of the pride but sometimes leaked into sharing the lion's land, in some rare forms lions and the panthers mixed. His aunt, Shiar, was a lion, her husband, now dead, was one of the spotted panthers. Her sons where mixed but mostly looked like lions, her oldest, Rigger, was a year younger than Jake, her youngest, Dean, was the same age as Brae.

"So you played with the princess!?" Rigger asked as they watched the two younger cubs play.

"Yeah" Jake laughed "it's pretty cool but I haven't seen her since though."

There was a short grunt as Brae was knocked over buy his cousin. Rigger shrugged "I don't know, I wouldn't think she's allowed out any, she is the only of her siblings, I mean I guess Princess Kiara could give her a sister or bother, but even then, unless it's a brother, she's first in line for the throne."

Jake gave him a look, "How do you know all this?"

He laughed, grabbed a rock with his teeth, walked away, set it down and turned towards Jake, and pushed it with his paws, Jake caught it with his and pushed it back. "I'm just taught buy my mother, that's all."

Jake caught it again and pushed it back, "Yeah, well, since my dad's died it's been full time for my mom, if I'm at the house I gotta baby-sit Brae so she can do other things she has too."

A slightly older yellow lioness, buy three or four years, sat beside him along with an orange one. The yellow one was Shire, named for her aunt, her mother was his Aunt Sandra and her father was deceased as well. She was pure yellow line though, she also had a younger brother around Jake's age, but he was a big kid, his build already out sizing his body. The older orange one, Mephie had a yellow father, Uncle Kade, and an orange mother, Aunt Cie, she had gained the look of beauty in coloring the oranges had, as well as their figure,

"So dating royalty now are we Jake?" Shire smirked

Jake scoffed as he caught the rock again, "Word gets around in this family, I'm a little young to date you know."

Mephie ruffled his hair, "Never too early" Mephie was much older than the rest of the group but still liked to hang out with them, and she herself was actually the only one truly dating, though Jake had no idea if any time it was serious.

A roar of the alpha male of the oldest birthday boy would usually signal the speeches and meetings, but that would have been Jake's father, today instead his grandfather, a graying yellow lion and his mothers father, Cletus, roared everyone to attention.

"As we know this is the first meeting we've had for this birthday bash since the passing of Tatter so let's have a moment of silence."

Davine, Shire's brother, sighed "its already getting boring, can we sneak off yet?"

Shire whacked her brother aside his head, "Shut up."

Jake laughed, "Wait for them to announce us, and then we can go unnoticed."

Sitting in the grassy plain that day they all noted how humid it was getting, around here if it got hot and humid it meant it was gearing up for a roaring storm half a week later. As soon his grandfather announced them Davine was bounding through the grasses and down the hills.

"Davine!" Shire wined chasing after her younger brother and everyone of the earlier group aside from Mephie and the smaller cubs followed, Mephie was helping the adults closer to her age run the gathering and watching over the cubs.

Jake followed the dust of the others to the bottom, where everyone was stopped, looking at something, he stopped too gasping at the site, and stopping himself from sliding into it. It was a hyena, a very young one; it was beaten up, torn, but alive.

"I heard of these" Rigger said, "Hyena's, years ago during Simba's beginning they took over the land with scar, they where banned and outcaste like the oranges, but never let in, scavengers, they eat everything they can get there paws on."

"Cynthia!" someone yelled in the distance, there was a small patter of feet coming closer, everyone but Jake ran to hide into the brush, Jake instead held his gaze with the soft look of the sleeping hyena.

At the call of the name again its eyes open, and the eye closest to Jake held his gaze, wide with fear, not knowing what was coming. Jake edged closer as the hurt hyena shook with fear.

"Are—are you okay?" Jake asked

Then the yellow face of a lioness around his age jumped over the hyena and head butted him, he staggered back and in reaction bared his teeth growling, she bared hers. Then he stopped, "Sara?"

Sara put her own fangs away, "Uh...yeah... Jake right?"

He rubbed his head, she had bumped him right on the forehead, he guess he had ducked and it had taken the blow, it was sore.

"Sorry about that," she turned, her eyes widening at the sight of the hyena, "Cynthia!? What happened, did you do this!?" she asked turning back to Jake, her teeth bearing again.

"No." the hyena said in a small weak female voice, "It wasn't him, other… other lion, they hated me, said I was a threat, I, I can't." she started to whimper, shaking all over "I can't feel anything Sara."

"Cynthia, no" she cried nuzzling her friends neck and spreading blood over the top of her muzzle, all Jake could do is sit and watch in horror and amazement.

"Sara!" a larger male voice said and her father, the prince, came bounding out of the foliage, stopping in his tracks, letting out a gasp of his own. "My god, who could of?" He eyed the young cub that sat behind them with suspicion, and then nuzzled her daughter who gripped to her dad tightly with one paw, tears streaming down her face. The hyena was no longer shaking, no longer moving, it seemed she was barely breathing.

"Jake!?" a large male voice came from the top of the hill.

"Crap, grandpa, the others must have gone back, I don't think he'll like me all in this." He looked back at the grieving princess, "Sara I'm sorry about this, I'll do what I can to help find the ones who did this." He turned to Kovu, and bowed respectfully, "Sir."

Kovu nodded "get going, ill take care of this."

After the young cub had left Kovu came to his daughter, "I'm sorry, she's not going to make it, she looks to have almost shut down completely, she's no longer coherent so its your choice honey, we can either just let her die, or we can give her peace."

Sara sobbed deeply and moaned, it made her sick to her stomach, it was the first thing she ever knew to die, and it was someone she deeply loved, "Ill do it dad."

Kovu almost chuckled "But, no"

"Ill do it!" she growled sharply

"…Of Course." The prince committed drawing back a little, and Kovu finally understood how much her play mate she had found years ago meant to her, he knew she had to do it.

She walked up to her friend, a friend hyena that had been with her through thick then and everything, a playmate for her lonesome times in pride rock, she could even remember the first time she found Cynthia wandering around lost and abandoned buy her own kind. Kovu turned his back respectfully.

Sara bent down, and nuzzled her unresponsive friend one more time, sobbing, then she gently gummed her friend's neck into her mouth, and then started to bite down, she tasted the copper of blood flow into her mouth as she punctured vital veins. Just as she started to shutter, when she thought she couldn't do, she bit down hard and tore right breaking her friend's neck, whom shuttered twice and then lied still, no longer breathing. Sara stumbled off a ways, the sickness she had felt at her friends impending death starting to come up, and threw up, Kovu eyed her with pride, she was too young to go through something like this.

Back at the party the gang of kids grouped up, "You bastard" Rigger nudged him, "I half expected you where making the whole thing up!"

Davine laughed heartily, "Yeah, you'll be the king if you're not careful. And what's with going at her teeth and teeth, thought you where going to start fighting."

But Jake wasn't in the mood, his ears low, and his tail dragged leaving a trail behind him, "Not now."

Davine looked around, "Something I said?"

Aside from one birthday boy being somber the party went without a hitch, Brae decided to play in some of the food during the feast which got a big kick out of everyone. Later during party and games Davine pulled Jake aside.

"Listen I heard your promise to the princess and I've been looking around, and asking the right people the wrong questions, stuff like that."

Jake turned his head aside looking around in worry, not knowing who else knew "You heard us?"

Davine laughed, his muscles on his jaw seemed to stand out, it seemed impossible such strength was meant for a cub, he looked almost deformed. "Yeah, only one not to run off like a bunch of scared pussies at the sight of the prince."

"Yeah, well what'd you find out?"

"Come"

This time getting permission they set off buy themselves, towards a ravine, and then down it. At the bottom was a drying pool of blood with a trail leading off back towards the party. Jake sniffed it, "It's the hyenas alright."

"Sorry this all I got really." Davine shrugged, looking around the dark walls as the sun began to set in the west, large dark shadow set across the ravine.

"It's a start" a deep voice came from behind them. The dark furred prince appeared from the shadows, "You kids work faster than me, and that's something really." He bowed to the blood pool, "Yeah that's hers all right, whoever killed her began here, probably thought they finished it here too. I couldn't get any good sent off of Cynthia, so we'll have to find clues here. You kids up for helping me."

Jake nodded, "I promised Sara I'd help."

Davine shrugged, "I'm here aren't I?"

They split, each using there sense of smell to weed out any sent of any cat or foreign animal. Cynthia had been all around this place, but no other smells stood out to the group, until, Davine from a ledge called the other two. "I got scent and a tuft of yellow fur here, I don't recognize either really."

Kovu bound up the wall, Jake, finding it a little harder to climb at his cub stature, followed eventually. "I don't know it either," Kovu growled, "But now we have a sent to work on, good job boys, Jake get up here and smell this too, and for the next few days we will have to work on keeping that scent in mind, and finding the killer among us."

Jake took a deep whiff of it, and suddenly thought of his section of the pride lands, "It smells….familiar."

Kovu rose an eyebrow, "How familiar?"

"I dunno, like it's from my part of the pride land, like it's something I smell almost everyday."

"Interesting, well, ill stalk around that part of the land tomorrow, we've got to get going, getting late for a couple of cubs to be out."

Jake left for the hill with his cousin, they met with there parents and amongst sunset set off for there homes leaving the party for the scavengers.

"So I saw you sneak out midday and tonight, what's up?" his mom asked wearing her sly 'I know everything' smile.

Jake looked towards the ground and away from his mom, "Nothing, just some fun, forest play and some time echoing voices off the ravine." He lied

Her smile lessened into a smirk, "Well I know you're lying, but I guess you have good reasons, besides, ill find out sooner or later."

It turned out he didn't have to wait, when they reached the cave that night a group of lions, along with Sara and her father leading the pack, where waiting outside the cave. Sara trotted up to Jake as Kovu talked to his mom.

She nodded to him, Jake just smiled and blushed a little, "Jake, we have some information, the lion where going after is actually from your cave but out for now, my dad says since I was there when she died I have the right to see this to the end, he says sense you swore an oath you have a duty of sorts to royalty for finishing this. But after talking to Zazu I found out I can let you go of the oath if you wish."

Jake looked at the ground for a bit, deciding on what to do, and then looked into her crystal blue eyes, he remembered how hurt those eyes had been when she saw here friend dying, "No, I promised you, I must find the ones responsible, I will keep the oath."

"But..."

He shook his head, "No, it's my duty, to you." He turned away at this, thinking of how lame he must have sounded, he only hoped he was impressing her.

Kovu stopped talking long enough to sneak a listen at Jake's answer, he nodded. "Listen misses, I know what reservations you have of letting your cub out, I can't tell you much, but he is an _imperative, _section of our mission, without him we can never complete it."

Mattie shook her head, "I don't mean to defy you sir, but he is my son! And no means no, you wont even tell me what's it about, what if he gets killed!?"

Kovu placed a paw on her shoulder, "Listen, Mattie, if anything dangerous would happen I'd see to it personally that your son _and _my daughter left before anything happened, I'd give my life before something happened to either."

"But…" but Jake stopped her when he put a paw on her tail.

"Its okay mom, its something I gotta do."

She was quite for a while, and then nodded. The cubs where the next to last off, Sara's father escorted her off, Jake had another escort with him, before he left Mattie leaned down towards his ears, "I hope all this trouble really impresses the girl."

Jake looked at her frustrated, "That's not it mom."

She raised her eyebrows not believing him but before she could say more he turned with his escort. As he walked away he brushed up against a dandelion that was sent away with the wind, very far away in a grouping of large African trees a student body of monkey's where listening to there elder master, Rafiki, who was getting on in his age, teach his young students.

"And now on to omens," as he said this a group of dandy lion seeds and leaves floated in through the sides of the trees and he caught them in his hands, "perfect timing. First put it in a bowl as this, mix it with water or fruit from the trees and start discerning." He added some fruit in his coconut shell and mixed his new omen, "then smell it to discern what it is of," he did so, wrinkling his nose, "here I believe I have a lion, of young age, now stir at let the solid ingredients come to rest." As he did his eyes widened at the prophecy. "Oh my…this…this could be important, nature tells us of a lion with darkness in his eyes, he will grow to rule and his sons will …yes…save the world…oh, I must get this to Simba! Class dismissed!" and he was off without another word leaving his kids with nothing.

A chubby baboon put his raised hand down, "but I can't smell anything."

Simba was sleeping when the hard hand knocked on his head, "Egh, Rafiki, if that's you again you better got a damned good reason, and I _don't _care about rain." He sat up smacking his mouth sour with sleep.

"No, sir, I was in the end of night class when I got a major prophecy."

Simba laughed, his voice was deeper than it had been before, he was now more like his father than ever, there was even some grey showing in his mane. "I know better than to ignore you ever, go ahead."

He opened his hands full of the liquid; Simba sniffed it, "Recognize the sent?"

"Uh…no…it's a lion though."

"Well according to the prophecy he is a lion with dark eyes and will grow up to rule the land and his sons will rule the world."

"Hmph." Simba thought for a minute trying to clear the cobwebs in his head, "Kovu is my son in law, will rule the land in the future, and has eyes I'd say are quite dark."

"I know, that's why I brought you this, but it isn't Kovu's sent is it?"

"No, but ill keep a nose out for whomever this is, any idea what direction it came in."

The baboon shook his head and then looked to the northern night sky, "No sire, the winds are mighty restless tonight, starting to pick up, I sense a big storm coming."

Simba settled back down "You and your storms, get back to your day Rafiki, and thanks for the message."

The group of lions prowled, Jake noted they where quite close to the ravine from earlier, the moon had risen a quarter of the way into the sky, when Sara stopped, her nose in the air, her eyes grew dark, her brow deepened, "I know that sent! It was all over Cynthia!"

Kovu, his nose to the wind, agreed, "Yeah, same sent as the ravine."

Then in the silence of the night there was a high laugh, a laugh of a hyena and a small growl of a big cat.

A lion scout with them came to Kovu, "Sire, we know not how many there are, the winds are restless, we need a scout who can get in undetected."

Kovu shook his head, "The lands out here are too flat, the brush too low, we couldn't get close undetected, none of us."

"I could." Interrupted Jake shyly.

"Don't be silly, your mom would kill me."

He shrugged, "Yeah, but I'm small, I can fit anywhere, I can get up there without them noticing me, and with the winds as screwed as it is they probably won't even take note of my sent."

Kovu smiled at the kid, "Very well, but do nothing more than look, we will wait buy that tree over there crouched in its shadows," he told him pointing to a large but barren tree. "Report back to us with what you see."

Jake nodded and caught the worried glance from Sara, he nodded at her smirking, "Ill be fine," he turned, crouched deep into the grass, and used his ears to follow their sound, with their sent mixed in the rough wind.

Jake peered through the grasses almost half a mile away and saw the group, a male orange lion in his teen years, his hair only slightly sprouted into a Mohawk like style, and two hyenas.

"So I took that hyena, the princesses little girl friend, and took a large chunk out of her neck." The lion told, as if speaking of a story. He started to laugh followed buy his small audience, "But she ran off and I had to follow her. Then I bit several big chunks out of her body and broke her back, but in the end she was still alive, and I left her to die, but then I sensed the coming of the other lions and fled up a tree. I had all my sent all over the dying girl they didn't even notice me." He stopped to pick meat of some kind of bone, "and then the princess and her dad themselves show up and the little bastards, aside from two lions, take off in fright." They started laughing again, "and the best part is I got to see the poor little princess kill her friend in mercy, I had to stop from laughing, and that was the hard part!"

Jake had steadily been building up anger through this whole speech, but he hadn't known what had happened after he left. Now that he did and that this lion had seen it all, his anger, the anger he had inherited from his father, burst and he jumped through the bushes, "You bastards!" He growled with his tiny voice.

At first the group looked at him in wonder and confusion, one of the hyena had hid behind the rocks they where near and its partner laughed at him. The lion, after his initial shock and fear of being caught, laughed mostly at himself, "Well little man" he drew out man as maaan, "I dear say you surprised me, me and my friends here almost shit ourselves." He laughed again and then got onto all fours, his build was average but he was a teen lion and much larger than Jake, he began forward and Jake backed towards the brush, stopped buy a bush. "But now you've heard too much, you'll be my next victim!" He pounced the lion cub and one huge paw held onto the kid's small body. "Hey, you're that cub from earlier, a friend of the princess are we? Bet she'll love having to kill two friends in one night."

Jake turned his head and stared away from his captor, towards the moon, sure it was the last thing he'd see, as he began to hyperventilate, the lion came down and lightly toothed his neck, one fang went in, but he withdrew and jerked his head up at a roar, just in time to have Kovu catch his muzzle in his teeth, and his neck with a paw. When they went down the other lion's neck was crushed buy the prince's might, he jerked once and fell silent.

Then Kovu, a mouth caked in a little blood, came with his daughter to Jake's side, Jake, who still lie on his back with a little strand of blood trickling down his neck, couldn't decide who looked more worried.

"Ah your mom's going to kill me," Kovu said, "are you all right kid?"

Jake got to his feet, and rubbed his neck, "I'm okay, it stings though."

Sara turned his head with one paw and looked at him like his mother often did, "You are crazy as hell!" and just when he was afraid she'd attack her face softened, she rubbed her forehead against the side of his, "Thank you, what you did was brave, I don't care if it was for an oath."

He was sure even through his fur they'd see his blush, this was interrupted when the lion Kovu had downed coughed. Sara looked at his father, concerned, "He's still alive."

Kovu went over to him, sniffed around, the lion was indeed alive, but he was paralyzed, then he eyed the two hyena hiding in the bushes. "We'll leave him tonight; his…friends will…take care of him."

That night, as they walked Jake home Sara never took her eyes off him, which just made him even more embarrassed, as much as he wanted to impress the young cub he was glad when he saw his home in the near distance. When the moon had gone a quarter of the way down, they left Jake at his cave, and the group walked off, Sara was the last one to go. She was giving him a new look, a look he didn't recognize much, a look he'd later wonder why his mother never gave his father, her eyes narrowed, her face down, her eyes forward towards him. "I'll see you later, thank you." She nuzzled him again, and then ran off after her father, he was blushing furiously, but at the same time grinning, he felt good.

He crept into his cave, and nodded to the guard who gave him a playful wink, his mother had fell asleep with his brother next to the entrance, he decided tonight he'd sleep with them, but not in her protection, today he felt more sure of himself than ever before.


	4. Chapter 3

Ch3

The next morning it was raining hard as Rafiki had predicted, too hard for anything good to happen, rivers started to flood, lions and lionesses kept to high grounds, most cubs where told to stay inside. The lightning ripped through the sky, the rain was so hard it had blocked out everything in the distance. Jake woke early in the morning to the sound of thunder and hard rain above his home, his mom was slightly awake cradling his scared little brother in her arms.

He trotted around the cave, several of the kids where playing but he really wasn't in the mood, and he was hungry. There was a stored food corner but it had been mostly picked clean, he decided to pick what was left, and for entertainment chew on some of the bones. He had a feeling today would be the most boring day of his life, if he didn't get out.

But Jake escaped the caves, because he had to go. He noticed first when he was chewing on a rib bone, the pressure started to build, at first he was going to tell his mother but then he remembered last time, she made him go in the cave and it smelled all day, he wouldn't do that again. This time instead he got several of his friends to take the bones he was chewing on and cause a distraction, even the guard for the day came to see what was all the noise, and the kids plaid the usual came of push with the bones instead of rocks. While the cave entrance was empty he walked out into the harsh rain was instantly soaked.

At first he just tried to go off the edge of the cave, but the wind and rain was too hard, instead he went out a little, into the mud and grass, to go. That saved his life, lightning struck the highest point of the cave they lived in with a roaring flash and deafening blast, and sent rocks to block the way out, the last thing he saw inside was the guard scattering back, out of the way. Forgetting his former problem he ran back to the cave. "Mom!"

The day was dark because of the clouds, even though it was sunrise time for the morning. He couldn't see in the cave through the cracks of the rubble, it was just too dark, but his mom's voice came through loud and clear. "Honey, get back, more might come down," at that the cave shifted and a bit of its top caved inwards, he could hear some of lions screaming inside.

"Mom!" he said putting his front paws against one of the large pieces of rubble, trying to look for a way in.

"Get back!" she snapped, and he got down.

Another voice came through, a male "No, he could get help!"

"No!" his mom came back, "no he's too little, Jake, just hide in a tree somewhere…Jake?"

But it was too late; Jake rushed for the only landmass he knew, unaware if he was heading in the right direction.

The lions of pride rock gasped when the cub entered chased buy one of the guards he had slipped buy, the boy was obviously exhausted and soaked with the rain, and he collapsed breathing heavy onto the floor.

Aside from the guard Simba was the first at his side, he dragged him away from the wind and rain of the cave entrance and set him down, and then gaped at his eyes, "The kid's eyes, there…kind of dark, but how could that be, this kid couldn't rise up to overthrow me, ill be dead buy the time he's old enough." He got closer and sniffed, through the smell of rain and dirt he could tell it was the same lion the prophecy had foretold, he wondered what he'd have to do.

The pitter-patter of small feet took his attention away from the boy, "Jake!? Grandpa what happened?" Sara came skidding around her grandfather's side looking at the other young cub, water was pooling underneath his soaked body.

"You know him?" then Simba smiled softly, "I understand now. Oh! The boy, I dunno, he just barged in."

Jake opened his eyes, and eyed Sara standing next to the king, "Sara, My cave, my family and a dozen or so others, there all trapped, the cave collapsed." He tried to stand but his legs ached deeply.

Sara looked towards the rain concerned, and started for the entrance; "Sara!" Simba's deep commanding voice stopped her, "Where do you think your going?"

"His families in trouble, after what he did for me it's the least I could do!"

Simba shook his head, "If we go out in that we only risk loosing more lions, the sky's can't stay like this all day, I'd say buy noon it should lighten, buy then we will converge a team to go rescue his family, until then take care of him." He nodded to the young cub who had fallen asleep again, picking him up.

That day Simba sat Jake at his family's personal area where he slept off his weariness. The space was also occupied buy his wife Nala, his daughter Kiara and her husband Kovu, as well as Sara whom never left Jakes side and eventually fell asleep next to him. When Jake woke though a couple of hours later it was past noon, and the rain was only falling harder, he rushed to the cave entrance but one of the four guards stopped him.

"My mom!" He growled, ready to fight, baring his teeth, which got an amused look out of the guards, he felt a mighty paw stay his tail and he turned ready to fight someone else. It was King Simba, and Jake immediately backed off, "I… I'm sorry sir, but, my mom, she's trapped."

Simba smiled warmly and nodded, "And she might be fine for all you know, all I know is if we go out in this weather where likely to get swept away, and your mom would kill me if we do something as reckless as that."

Jake looked, concerned but convinced, away from the door, Simba nodded and let go of his tail, his ears lowering the kid trotted back to the area where he slept, he nodded to Nala and Sara's parents and settled down next to a wet window into the world. There wasn't much of a world to look at, he couldn't see anything past the cave walls and the only thing he knew he could count on is that it never flooded buy his cave, at least not usually.

Sara came up with something in her mouth, she dropped it and pushed it towards him, it was a very shiny rock, "Wanna play?" He smiled tiredly, and pushed it back.

Meanwhile back at his home, in the cave the stronger men and women tried to push the rocks out of the way, all they did was make the cave shutter some more. The eldest of the cave, Rinki, going on his sixties, studied the walls. "The cave is no longer sturdy; I doubt we would make it out all alive, pushing those rocks out of the way will cause this cave to collapse, I just don't know how fast." He looked around the room, "There are several groups and this will be how it happens, should we find a way to open a way out, there will be waves to groups to go out, first line will be any mothers and young children. Behind them any of the fathers of the children, and behind them any of the young women followed next buy the young men. Then the older lions and lionesses will amble out if there's still time."

A lion that was considerably aged though not as old as the one talking scoffed, "Yeah just you wanna go down with the cave doesn't mean the rest of us do."

The graying lion gave him a stern look. "Its ordained buy importance of lions, first the mothers protecting our future, than the fertile lions, and then the lions whose age determines the only thing for them is a future death." He growled, "If you have a problem with that you can take it up with me personally right here and I can guarantee there will be one less lion making it out tonight!"

Some of the younger lions and lionesses where taking care of two injured, a couple, to yellow lions. They had been under the area where the roof had caved in and taken some of the larger chunks of rubble, the man had a large head wound that was bleeding profusely and most likely wouldn't make it, the woman had two broken hind legs but was otherwise uninjured, to make matters worse though, she was pregnant and nearing birth. The elder walked over to them "We will leave the lion, he is going to die anyway, we can't rescue him…"

"NO!" the lioness screamed and then grimaced as she had twisted one of her broken front legs to the side, "No! I won't leave him!"

Ignoring her, the elder went on, "I will drag him out as the last out, but this lady must go with the first wave," He pointed to five young lions, one barely growing his mane in his teens, "You five will drag this lady out buy any means necessary and get her out of danger, and keep her safe!"

The lions nodded, some of them only feeling good they'd be assured a ride out before the cave went. The elder turned back to the blocked entrance, "Now, I must come up with a plan on how to get out."

Finally with the sun a quarter set the lions of pride rock came out to a view of a wet almost new world, at least to the younger ones it seemed that way. There where new streams where streams had once never existed, Simba's first note was the fire to the south, he then looked at the concerned cub and to the north, he couldn't discern the cave he was looking for this far but he knew where it was.

"I need a group of males to combine into a rescue team for this young master's home, and the lions trapped inside, we need to rescue and take note of the situation, if needed the survivors may need help to relocate."

Jake's head grew low, as his ears sunk around his face, "Survivors?" He wined quietly.

But Kovu nosed him, "Just official big guy disaster talk, I'm sure everyone's okay." He stood up, "Ill take that job sir, if you don't mind."

Simba rose an eyebrow, "Royalty usually doesn't go on as many missions as you do, fine, but your daughter is _not _going this time."

Kovu bowed to the king, "Of course." He turned back to Jake, "You should stay to, it might be a bit dangerous."

Jake drew back and then pushed forward, half shocked and half angered buy Kovu, "No way! It's _my_ family where about to rescue!"

So they went off, a group of ten male lions, mostly in there adult ages, and one cub, all heading for Jake's home. But the trip was harder than usual, there where at least twelve new streams between pride rock and his home, and there where still spots where it was raining. But the last stream was the largest and most violent, almost a river.

Several of the lions barely made it across; some swam, most climbed a tree and took a branch across. Kovu mouthed Jake and picked him up, and started for the tree.

"Hey!" Jake protested as Kovu climbed.

Kovu waited as another lion slowly steadily climbed the bouncing branch across the river. "You may think you're a big boy Jake, but ill be damned if I'm going to let you get hurt, not with a fierce mom like yours, and not when my little girls taken a liking to you."

Jake just blushed at this as Kovu slowly crossed the wobbly branch, at several times it seemed they'd go over to Jake, plunge to the muddy depths of the rushing river and never reappear. Finally Kovu jumped and hit the ground, setting Jake down. They where now in a plain area he recognized, and in the distance was his home, he ran for it, the roof from afar looked worse than it did up close, and he gasped and skid to a stop as once again it shuttered.

Kovu looked around, there was nothing but a few animals around, "What to do, what to do." Then he eyed some elephants, "What would Simba do?" He grinned.

The group inside stepped back, "This isn't working," a guy called back to the elder.

The elder grunted, "I can see that." He had no idea how any of them would get out, unless the young cub, unlikely, made it for help, they'd all die of starvation, or at least at the end of his life one of the lions would be forced to resort to cannibalism.

He looked over to Mattie who was bathing her son, the only thing she could do at a time like this, and back at the injured couple, the lioness was holding tightly onto her belly. "I hope, Mattie, your son knows his way."

At that two sets of giant tusks burst through the caves entrance holding both sides of it up, and with a mighty trumpet another elephant started pulling bigger rocks from the cave's entrance as the lions worked on the smaller ones.

Soon what was left of day broke through, and the elder yelled, "The plan! Now!"

Mattie picked up her son, as the caves walls began to crack and disintegrate and started for the entrance, on her way out several males rushed past her back in.

Jake saw his mom come out and rushed for her, but she made a motion for him to get away and he followed her out into a small grassy area with some trees, the place he had almost went this dreaded morning. As they watched all the women come out, along with the pregnant lioness, they also watched lots of large and small cracks crawl up the cave wall, soon the other lionesses and fathers where out, and then the young males, and followed buy the older lions and lionesses, finally the elder began to drag the injured male out.

Some of the males that had come from pride rock rushed towards the cave entrance but something loud cracked a piece of the roof fell inwards. "Get back, all of you!" The elder yelled, finally an elephant gave way and dropped his side, and the other elephant backed off in reprehension of what was going to happen. The whole cave, caved in on itself, there was one last mighty roar from the elder that sounded much younger than he was, before he was cut short. The pregnant lioness yelled for her lost husband and everyone bowed their heads for the loss of the elder lion.

Then the lioness screamed again, but this time it was different. She dug her claws into the nearest male who at first almost snapped at her but then decided to let her when he saw what was happening, she was giving birth. Jake had seen it once before when his brother had been born, but it always looked so painful. When she was done there sat at her legs a brand new baby lion cub, a boy, but usually at the end of birth the father cleaned it, he now had no father. Instead another male from their home came to her and cleaned the cub, then carried it to her resting place where she could see it.

She smiled, "I'll name you Gyro, after you're father." She said, and then she nuzzled the male that had helped her, "Thanks."

That night Simba's workers found homes for most the lions, the recent widow and the lion that had helped her went off together. But when Kovu came to ask them if they needed one Mattie shook her head. "Most my family lives in the southern pride lands, we'll move back there and house with my father."

Jake gasped, shook his head, "Mom, but!"

"Shh… it's probably not permanent, just for now."

Jake knew she didn't understand, he looked at Kovu but he just shrugged, the prince was not all powerful when it came to his mom. The south several dozen miles away, far away from pride rock, so far you really couldn't see it; he'd most likely never see Sara again.

But he stopped running around in a panic and accepted his fate; it had been a hard enough day. "Okay."

On the way down they took the long way around some of the streams and passed up pride rock buy the time the moon had risen one quarter the way into the sky. Kovu invited them to stay the night and they agreed, that night he met with Sara and told her the bad news.

"You can't, when can we see each other again?" She whispered, her ears where back and her eyes where wide with worry.

"I dunno, my ma says its temporary but once she's settled in a place she'll never move," a tear formed in his eye, "I may never get to see you again," he sobbed.

But Sara just rubbed her head against his tears, "Don't cry, I'm sure ill see you again soon. And I'll never forget you." She looked around, "I know, stay here!" She bounded off deeper into the cave.

She brought back the shiny rock they had plaid with the other day, and sat it down in front of him, "This is my favorite rock in all the lands, take it, and remember me." Tears began to form in her eyes. "And when you come back, bring it back so I'll know it's you, for no matter how you change, I will never forget." She smiled, and he smiled back, and nodded, taking the rock he kept it under his form, protecting it.

Then they lied down for the night, each on the other side of that rock, and stared at each other till finally Sara quietly fell asleep, and still Jake watched her.

When Jake woke he was swinging in the morning, at first he panicked and his mom dropped him. "Sorry there Jake."

"Mom!" he looked around, "But, where are we?" he couldn't see pride rock anywhere; they had already gone far from it.

"You've been asleep for hours, I though I'd carry you for a while and your brother was a good walker, but it's his turn to ride."

She picked up his brother who dropped the rock he carried, it was Sara's special rock, and started to walk again, Jake just stood looking the way he came, he hadn't even got to say goodbye. "Come on Jake, most the orange lions down here are a little seedy." His mother called to him, he sighed, picked up the rock, and started after her.

Other than his depression the trip was uneventful, they stopped a quarter the way and his mom caught lunch, but he barely picked at the meal. They finally reached a thick gathering of caves, there where two side of a ravine and two levels of the ravine, and large caves surrounding it. The day had grown to noon and it was hot, a few lions plaid in the sun, teens causing trouble, and they eyed the group warily. When they entered a cave at near the end of a top row on the right side, they where nodded to buy the cave guard, "Miss Mattie, what brings you to your old home." He said giving her a friendly hug.

"Hello Richard," Richard was an old friend and lived here his whole life, she drew back out of the hug and eyed him, "Our home is gone and I was hoping I could talk the group into letting us stay here… at least for a while."

Richard laughed, "I'm sure everyone will enjoy that, everyone here you know, only a few new comers, mostly kids."

As they entered she sat Brae down who immediately ran for his grandparents, Mattie followed him and Jake dragged his tail in the back of the line.

In the end the whole group accepted them warmly, so warmly that they staid there, for quite a while. Jake hid his rock in a special place near where he slept, and began to grow year after year, when he hit fourteen he finally began to grow some of his mane though it was only a thick sprout of hair, yet every year he went back to that rock, and almost every week he thought of Sara.


	5. Chapter 4

Ch4

Sara grew also but as you might imagine a growing princess has more to deal with. For the first few years after he left, and never came back she waited, she'd awake every time she'd be asleep at night and hear someone small approaching only to be disappointed when it was another of the cave's regular cubs, and she almost never wandered far from the cave anymore, with or without her parents. But as she began to grow, it began to change, other boys took interest in her and she was beginning to learn more of what was expected of her as queen, and the face, the voice, the memory of Jake all became blurry, while she never forgot Jake buy the time he was sprouting his new strand of mane he was no longer the first thing she thought about every morning. In fact the day he trotted around his ravine showing it off and getting a good laugh out of the older teens that had there's for a while, she was dealing with something more serious.

It was almost three years after Jake had left yet her grandfather Simba had seemed to grow allot older in that time and her father and mother had entered there prime. Many times she had walked in on her grandpa who had taken up an ugly cough, sitting around and seemingly staring into the floor, only to look up with a look of lost on his face, he had become unable to recognize the people he knew and loved. On the fateful day, it was cloudy yet warm, thunder rumbled in the distance and Kovu and Sara had staid in the caves to rest for a day, her mother was busy taking care of Simba. Sara was chasing her father's paws when Kiara came out crying to Kovu, who looked up concerned, she said her father was dying. Kovu followed his wife in with Sara in his mouth, into a room that smelled as dark as it now looked. Inside Sara, her parents, and her grandmother Nala surrounded Simba, who hadn't been able to move all day, he wheezed uncomfortably, and his eyes where already lost in reality, he tried to focus when he noticed the crowd, but was unable to. One of the mightiest kings of all of Africa was truly on his last legs, the legend was about to die.

In his last breaths he passed the kingdom onto the new King and Queen, and he focused his eyes one last time on Sara, and smiled, and with one last sigh his life was drawn from him. There where no mournful roars for this lion who had lived through his time, but there was a depression that seemed to sedate the entire kingdom, and beyond.

That night they had a massive royal funereal, and burned the king, it seemed every animal in the kingdom came to pay there respects to one of the greatest kings they knew. And after the funeral, sad but full of pride, Kovu and Kiara where announced as then new crowned King and Queen of the lands, with word of the king's blessings Rafiki quickly anointed the new royalty, and chocking back their own grief the new king and queen roared to there new land and it's people, and the animals bowed to their new leaders.

A night later a boyfriend of Sara's, whom she really didn't like in truth but was there to fill an empty hole she'd forgotten of how it was made buy now, came to her, all grin. "Sorry for your loss, but hey, your dad's now the new king, wanna go make me next in line." He grinned wider.

She gave him a disgusted look, she was grieving a loss and all this looser could think about was being the first to have sex with her, she pushed him away hard and he tumbled a little way down pride rock, "Get away you looser." She got up and walked back towards the cave.

He got up and shook himself off, "Fine bitch, I'll go do some other chick!"

The next day news of the kings passing and the new crowning reached Jake's area, and the whole ravine held a festival, the ravine had grown to accept his family, though not everyone liked him. He was seen as a lanky looser, in fact he spent his time mostly with the other lanky lions around his age, playing push the rock with a slightly bigger rock than he had plaid with before.

"Guys" he said as he pushed the rock to one of the four lions currently in the group, "Don't you ever want to get out and do something, I mean outside the ravine?"

The skinniest of the group, Nairo, had the largest mane, it was so long it hung around his eyes and hid them from sight, spoke up in a nasally out of breath way, "Man, no, to dangerous out there!"

His cousin Rigger was also in the group, he had grown quite large but he had never grown a mane, they guessed it was his fathers side and he'd never grow one, while they where not living in the same cave they also lived in the ravine, "Yeah, man, just cause you claim to have once had relations with the up and coming princess doesn't mean we all want are _that _ambitious." Rigger caught the rock and pushed it towards Jake. "By the way, why don't you get a piece of that sweet ass and maybe put yourself up to be the next king?" He grinned large.

Jake caught the rock, and then flipped his paw quickly to the side kicking the rock up into the air and hitting Rigger squarely in his right eye. "Ow man!"

"Forget you, besides, she probably doesn't even remember me much, she is a princess after all, do you know about how many men must be after her daily?"

Jakes brother, also in the group, who looked up to Jake immensely, grabbed the rock while it was away from the group, and pranced around the group, "I learned from mom that you should never underestimate the power of love, after all you still remember her."

Jake nodded his head to the young Brae, who was only about ten going eleven now, but Rigger growled, "Where not doing this again, you put that rock down now!"

Brae just grinned and shook his rump tauntingly, "You gotta catch me if you wanna play some more!" and took off towards the crowd of the festival, with Rigger right on his tail.

Nairo sighed, "Come on, lets go save your brothers troublesome butt before your cousin eats him or something."

Jake laughed, "Yeah." Even without his love, his life was good.

Doesn't mean he never tried, while Sara was dating a few and turning away the rest of the pride Jake tried to get some women to come his way. Buy his fifteenth year he'd already been turned down buy over a dozen lionesses, and unlike the larger lions he wasn't the one to force a one to commit. Instead he just took rejection after rejection, and finally settled to being good friends with some of them. One of the orange lionesses he hung out with most often is because she hung out with the group of losers he associated with. Her name was Maggie, and she was a plump short lioness about his age. He had taken her out to special places to chat, and every once and a while the ravine held a thing called a play he never heard of and they always sat together, and Jake wished so hard that he could become hers an vice versa, but he knew deep in his heart he still felt for the princess, even if it wasn't meant to be anymore.

The kids of the south didn't go to classes as did some older kids of the north, nor where they expected to do much other than menial chores. Instead his group he usually hung out with, which had grown into as mall pack almost, usually just hung out and tried not to cause to much trouble. Fighting matches, and playing was the usual, some of the older ones in the group where practicing more mature themed activities, but they usually drew away from the group to do these.

Soon the group began to explore outside the ravine, they found several small watering holes on the outside that made there town center's drying one look pathetic, and they met several other neighboring group of lions. Each one promised the other one day, they'd escape the ravine, to live on their own, maybe start there own pack, but none of them ever really meant it. But little did they know that within the year, they would no longer be able to see there homes ever again.

One day the whole group he hung out with, which had grown even more due to mates that where being found buy lions within or outside it that staid around with their mates, where traveling outside the ravine, exploring the area in detail and the watering holes around it, the ravine with its sense of security led to less lions leaving it than in a normal setting. They met a few spotted panthers and they hunted down a group of gazelles. Then Jake caught the sent of another lioness around, a familiar sent yet different, and followed it, the curious group right behind.

They came upon a lioness that was backed up a tree, she was younger than all of them and she was backed up the tree buy an older orange male. The lion bounced the tree a little, "come on down and I wont be rough, I promise!" he grinned. It was clear to see what was happening, the young male lion not much older than them kept growling for her to submit, she growled back in scared contempt, and she looked up full of hope to the group of lions that appeared out of the brush. To the groups surprise Jake jumped forward, worried Rigger followed.

"You! Get away!" Jake growled, baring his teeth to full extent.

The orange lion turned and growled at him, "You get back! I called her first!"

He started forward, despite being younger and weaker than the other, "You bastard, can't you see she doesn't want you." He said keeping his teeth drawn out.

The lion growled one last time and turned back towards the tree, ready to jump as the lioness's eyes widened, but before he could Jake and Rigger where on his back, clawing and biting. The lion let out a tremendous roar, and kicked both of them off, he was quite stronger, and his full mane made him at least three years older. But when the lion turned to face the younger teens he backed down, when the two lions stood they stood in the midst of there whole group of over a dozen, maybe two, lions, all of them growling fiercely.

The attacker gave them a worried look and then backed around the tree "This isn't over, ill have her, and buy god I will kill you!" and ran off towards the ravine.

The lioness came down and rubbed full length against both of her rescuers, "You guys are amazing, ill be yours anytime." She looked slyly at them.

Jake turned away shyly, but Rigger moved towards her, "His heart is already stolen, but I'm single and exotic too." He winked brushing his hand over his maneless hand.

She rubbed against Jake again and nosed him, and he coughed trying to ignore it, trying not to blush "got a girl and still saving my butt, you're a good man." She turned with Rigger and the group with Jake followed behind them.

"So where you from?" Rigger asked.

She shook her head, "No, it's embarrassing."

"Aw come on!" insisted Nairo insisted.

"Well… ok. I'm from pride rock." The yellow lioness blushed, the group gasped.

"Royal?" Maggie asked.

"No, not really. I'm Princess Sara's servant"

Rigger cocked his maneless head towards Jake, "Coincidence?"

Jake finally grew interested and caught up to them, "Why are you down here?" he asked with enthusiasm.

Though his enthusiasm made her back towards Rigger a little she nodded to him "I'm just here to check out some of the southern pride lands, got mixed up in the festival and staid around for a few days when one of your people attacked me."

Jake ignored this, "Is Sara ok?"

She gave him a wondering look, "Uh, yeah… You know her?"

He shrugged, "Just childhood friends from before the flood waters." But he had not trouble remembering her, her face, her cute laugh, her blue eyes, he wondered how she looked now, she had to be beautiful.

She nodded, not convinced, but her mind turned to other things "I wouldn't worry about her anyways," she stop and turned back and looked over all of them "You're all going to be in big trouble now."

Rigger scoffed, "What for, getting rid of that bastard?"

She shook her head, "Yes don't you know the rules of the pride land?"

Nairo shrugged, "I doubt it will be that big back there, no one likes a jerk."

But they where wrong, when they went back, escorting the girl who now gave her name as Pyre after the fire she was born in front of, a group of elders, including Jake's own grandfather, and the attacker out in front, where waiting for them at the entrance of the ravine blocking their way.

Jake growled stepping ahead of the group, "Grandpa, what is _that _bastard doing here!?"

His grandfather clawed him hard and he skidded back a little, a trail of dust rising towards the sky, the left side of his face in pain and slightly scratched. "You fool!" he said in a deep commanding voice, "Do you know what you have done, according to law only one must challenge a male for a female, but you all did it!" his eyes turned from his grandson and towards the whole group, he met there faces, most of them scared and confused, he wondered how many hadn't been taught this lesson. But he held firm, it was a law that was firm within the land he would not devise against, even if his daughter was back in her cave crying herself to sleep.

Rigger stepped up, not anymore afraid of his grandfather than the bastard that hid behind him, "So?"

"So?" their grandfather asked getting off his hind end and stepping forward, seeing if the young man challenged him, "So you've got two big choices on your hands here since you've defiled your family name and the name of all lions, be cast out from the ravine and as much of you as there are create your own home…or let us kill you where you stand."

Pyre stood behind Rigger now, who backed off from his grandfather, not wishing to start a fight. Jake heard Maggie sob; he shook his head, pushed Rigger aside and stood teeth to teeth with his grandfather, willing to fight if it meant what was right. "It's my fault, only my fault they where all with me, _I _attacked alone, and I will alone take the blame. So leave them alone." He growled as his eyes narrowed, his teeth bared, "And kill me if you wish."

The attacker from earlier came around, them "I kind of like that idea!"

But Jake's grandfather made him flee back with a deep growl, viciously turning towards the lion, "Stay out of it! If my grandson dies tonight you will be next!"

The eldest of the ravine pushed his way through, rigidly and slowly climbing the hill and past Jake's grandfather. He was seen as the law maker and all abided buy him in the ravine, meanwhile Jake could hear the two ladies behind him sobbing, along with some of the guys, the rest where whispering lightly amongst themselves, and some where as silent as the day. "Young lion, you are fierce and head strong, but your dark eyes carry a different fate than death, I've felt it sense you where born here in this ravine." He caressed jakes brow, who calmed a bit, "Go now, for as law the third warning is the breaking of your neck."

Jake held his stance for a moment, a disgusted and hurt look on his face, then turned to his friends, all which looked worried, scared, or sad. There was Nairo, his friend since he came into the ravine at childhood, his younger brother Doughier was still in the ravine, about Brae's age, along with their parents, there was Maggie, who looked as frightened as there new member. There was Lien, another lanky but fully mane'd lion around his age, someone who had become one of Jakes best friends, and then he thought about his mother and his brother, but as he turned away from the ravine, he noticed all of them looked to him, looked at him, and he noted at once he had been unamously voted to be leader, he nodded smiling sadly, and put his head low. "You all do not deserve what fate has been given to you, I ask for your forgiveness. But we…we are our own group, our own family of lions now, and due to law we have been outcast, we must make or own home, and per what I know of law, no matter how much you miss your families, _none _of you can ever return to the ravine for nine years!"

At this Maggie broke down and sobbed, but Jake rubbed his face against hers, "Don't worry Maggie, it will work out, and I'll protect everybody with my life." He sighed, not sure he even believed himself, "Anyone know anywhere we can at least spend the night?" he asked, looking back he noticed most the lions had left the entrance aside from the guard, his grandfather, the elder, and the asshole who started all this.

Pyre spoke up, she was being consoled buy Rigger, who was getting the same in return, he had just lost his home, she had not, "I passed up a cave I think was uninhabited halfway between this place and pride rock, I believe it was ok to live in."

Jake studied the lioness, then shook his head "You did nothing wrong, your not an outcast like the rest of us, we can have some of us escort you home if you wish."

She looked at all of them, then to Rigger, "No, I owe you this much for saving me, and I think I've found the perfect man." She nudged Rigger who grinned widely.

That night Sara was out on the ledge of pride rock spying over the pride lands, her grandmother lay out in the cool breeze, got up suddenly. "Good buy Sara." She said and walked down the cliff side and disappeared into the brush.

She rose an eyebrow, "What?"

The next morning Nala hadn't returned, and the small force of royal guardian lions where sent to find her along with several volunteers, but the lions lost sent of her while searching in a large river nearby Jake's old destroyed home. After a day of trying to find her they gave in, though Kiara knew pretty much what had happened, and took her daughter into a private speech late that night seeing the distress in her daughters face, Sara had been the last to see her grandmother and she had begun to feel partly responsible.

"Sara, I know what you're thinking, but it was inevitable." She said taking her child into a dark and private corner of the cave.

"But, mom, it was like she told me she was leaving," Sara whispered, looking around in worry someone might here her.

Kiara shook her head and nuzzled daughter, "There was no stopping her, you see, Sara, my mom's time was coming, and well, while a king is pretty much made to die on his throne or defending his land, an queen that is no more isn't. She must have gone off to die somewhere we wouldn't find her."

Sara stared somberly at the starry sky, "So she too, will be watching over us?"

Kiara laughed, it wasn't a myth she kept close to her heart, but apparently her father had gotten to Sara, "Yes, yes she will. Now come bright eyes, it grows late."

It took almost a day's walk of being mostly lost but the group finally found the cave Pyre had spoken of. It wasn't a grand cave, nothing like his other two homes, but it was large enough for his group and a few more. Unfortunately it wasn't uninhabited, instead a duo of hyenas, a male and a female, where snoozing along the back wall of the cave.

"Hyena's," Nairo growled, his orange fur reflecting the moon's light. "Such filthy creatures should do some good to eat them tonight."

"No!" Jake shouted, then caught himself, and calmed down, "No, uh…we don't…eat such filth!" He was too afraid to tell about the small respect he had gained for hyenas after the incident with Sara several years ago, but Rigger nodded, knowingly.

Instead Rigger let out a huge roar that filled up the whole cave and the two hyenas Jumped to there feet, and then backed against the wall, they may have heard Rigger roar but they saw Jake, and in the strange dying light he looked without eyes to them. "Get out now!" Jake commanded them.

They skirted around for a minute than sat. "Oh pleas oh specter of the past please do not throw us from our homes, we are outcast."

"Of course you are, you are hyena's, your not suppose to even be within the pride lands!"

"No! We are outcast not also of the land but of our family, they kind of kicked us back in the pride land, please don't make us leave, kill us instead for we would be miserable having to live without a home! Pleas oh great specter!"

Jake sat and cocked his head to the side, "Specter, as in ghost?"

The hyena's looked at him, "Aren't you?"

"What, no!" he laughed

But the hyena's faces grew paler, now knowing they faced a true lion they knew what came next, a meal, and they where on the menu. He laughed again, "Don't worry," he turned, "Say guys, we don't mind sharing our room with the previous owners do we?"

A large group of lions which really made the hyenas nervous came in the cave, "Why not?" Rigger said.

Jake turned back towards the hyenas who backed a little, "Tell you what, you don't make a fuss about a family of outcaste lions making this cave our home, and we'll be your friends, let you stay, and even let you pic from your scraps."

The male hyena groveled at Jake's feet, "oh mighty lion you are so generous."

He picked his paw up as the hyena tried to kiss it, "Stop that, I am no king."

The hyena looked up, "But you are the leader of this group aren't you?"

Jake looked back at his friends, "Well… I guess… it doesn't matter now. So what are your names if you're going to be a part of our outcast family?"

"I am Hind and this is my lovely wife Sondra." He pawed his wife.

The lady extended her paw, "How do you do?"

He bowed slightly to her, "Pleasures all mine." He turned to his friends, his new family, "Well my…my family, we've had a big last two days, if your hungry you can go hunt, but I'm turning in."

An orange lion of whose name he wasn't sure laughed, "I think we all are Jake."

So the lions settled in, and the hyenas staid next to him as they all did, but in the end the only the center of the cave was open. Jake looked around confused, without a loved one to have with him he preferred his quite private corners and sides, "Umm... am I supposed to?" he cut off.

The hyena nodded, "The master usually sleeps in the center. He's secure while giving the rest of the family a sense of security themselves."

Jake laughed, "I'm no master!" he said quietly not wanting to wake the ones who had already drifted off.

"Ah, but your one of the oldest if not _the _oldest, and they all look up to you, it doesn't if your mane is full or if your statures large, you meet the necessary criteria of a leader."

Jake looked around the room and the lions still awake nodded, even Rigger and his new girl nodded to him, he smiled, in a way he was embarrassed, but in another way this felt good.

Rigger was settling after Jake had dozed off close to the two hyenas in the center, when pyre nudged him awake again. "I gotta go."

"So go, you're a big girl; I don't have to walk you out." He said settling back down.

She laughed quietly, "No" she whispered, "I have to go back to pride rock."

Rigger sat up at this, "What no!" he said a little two loud and a lion near him hit him with his tail. "Why?" he whispered, "you said you could stay!"

She hushed him with a paw, "Quite, I'm not leaving permanently; at least I hope I'm not, but I can't leave the royal family unless they discharge me. I have to go ask of it."

He stood, "I'll come too!" the same lion behind him hushed him this time.

She shook her head, "No, if you come the king will see it as a challenge of his authority," she whispered, "as if I brought you as a threat, I will have more success as asking them as a humble servant, and as Sara's friend." She nodded to him, and then kissed him, which surprised him, it was his first kiss. "I will be back to tell you what happened either way."

He watched her go then settled back down, but it was two hours before he again reached sleep.

Sara was awoken buy another servant from her sleep, she noted her father was gone, it was noon but the other lions still slept. "Master Kovu requests your presence in the chamber."

She yawned and stretched and watched as the servant went back towards the main chamber. Outside Kovu eyed her, he was sitting with one of her servants, Pyre, and she couldn't imagine what Pyre had done to constitute getting her up this early. "What's up daddy?"

Her father looked sternly at her, curiously, "I don't know why, but she insisted that she had to talk to us at the same time."

She eyed Pyre, "What'd you do, kill someone?"

She almost laughed but licked her lips instead, "No! no…" she bowed, "No, I actually come in a request of some big stature, I was hoping, your majesties, would let go of my servitude as constricted buy my parents to the royal lines." She cringed for the reply eying the ground in worry.

Kovu's eyebrows shot up in surprise, Sara's just narrowed, "What for?" she asked curious.

"I found…a mate my lady, but it's of your choosing." She licked her lips again, she'd hate not break bad news to Rigger."

Kovu then let out a big hearty laugh, "Oh well, good four you," he said and clapped the lioness on the back who startled and looked up. "At your age few fall in love, but it's not much younger than me and Kiara. Well done, um… ill let you go of course buy its up to your master now."

Sara didn't speak but gently rubbed against her servant, someone who had grew as a friend to her. "I'm glad for you, and it is my royal duties to let you go of your servant duties," she looked at what was now just her friend now, Pyres eyes had welled up with tears of happiness, she didn't expect an easy release, "but do pay us a visit some time, and bring your suitor."

"Crap!" Jake jumped up from his sleep; it was about noon outside, most of the lions where awake and ambling about, the ones who weren't where now wide awake.

"What is it?" Rigger asked putting a large paw over his own half asleep face.

"My rock!"

Nairo laughed, "What?" he was on his way out the cave's entrance.

Rigger sighed, "His precious stone, I bet he left it back in our old home."

Another lion laughed and stretched and got to his feet. "Yeah well it's gone now. Man, I'm hungry!"

But Jake dashed out of the cave, Rigger shook his head and ran after, outside the cave he confronted him, "Man, its not worth it, they'll kill you!"

"But it's our rock!" he panicked brushing his paw through his young mane. "Without it if I meet Sara again she won't know it's me!"

"Ugh," rigger shrugged, and then got back up, "you know what, fuck it! Let's go."

"No!" Jake said turning back towards him, "No… you're the only one around here other than me that knows how to hunt worth a damn, you gotta get food for the others," he playfully tapped Riggers chest. "And teach some of them while you're at it."

Rigger shook his head, "I'll be damned if I'm going to let you go off and get yourself killed now! You're our leader now! You have a responsibility to lead our group!"

"Listen, I was chosen, not self appointed, I didn't ask for all of you to look up at me, and I appreciate it, but this rock means so much to me, I don't even know if I'll ever see Sara again, or if she'll remember me, if not this is the last thing I have of our time together. You must see I need it!" He looked hopefully to his younger cousin, hoping he'd understand.

"Dammit" Rigger growled.

"I'll do it." A voice said

They turned to face Maggie, Rigger shrugged, "Why you?"

"Because I'm a female, there's a lesser chance they'll try to kill me. Plus I love Jake, as a friend, and I'd hate to see him killed." She nodded to Jake, and smiled shyly at him.

Jake nodded, and patted her head, "You're a great girl Maggie, I hope you find a man that is better than I ever could be, and in fact I know you will if I have to set you up with one myself." He stood, "We're off then, if something happens Rigger, you become the responsible one."

"Why me?" rigger argued

"Cause unfortunately you're the most mature." He grinned at his younger cousin, and then walked off with Maggie right beside him.

Halfway between there house, and the ravine, Maggie spoke up, "So, uh, with the sun setting and all, you got like… a plan?" 

Jake shrugged, "Not really."

She smirked, "Some leader you are, good news is I'm the brains behind that brawn."

"What brawn?" he looked around faking confusion.

She laughed, "Right, brains behind those bones. Anyway I think since it will be dark when we reach there, your old home is atop the cliff to the right side of the ravine, sneak around above it and I'll cause a hassle at the entrance of the ravine that will draw anyone who's awake."

He nodded, he could see the ravine in the distance as the sun finally set below the ground, "Sounds good, but if anything gets violent you run, you run like hell, and watch out for that one guy that did all this."

She nodded, and as planned he went around the edges to just above his old home and waited for her signal. She meanwhile was a little distraught to see the bastard who did it all guarding the entrance for the night.

"Well if it isn't the plump little girl from the other night, I tell you what, let me get a piece of that and I'll let you in to have my child." He grinned; his grin while white was full of nothing more than violence and contempt.

She scoffed at him, "Your desperate, I'm here to grab some stuff we left behind, that's all, now get out of my way!"

He stood in front of the entrance, "What you going to do if I don't?"

She smirked, "This." And she roared a mighty roar that stunned the guard in his place and attracted the attention of all the lions awake in the ravine.

This was Jake's cue, he jumped onto his caves roof and pressed low to it as he clawed his way down to its entrance, the guard for the night had left for the commotion, and he let himself in. He snuck in amongst the sleeping lions, but his rock was not in its special hiding place, instead it was near it, in his mothers arms, seeing this made him feel a little sad for her, and he decided to risk waking her, nudging her, her eyes fluttered open for a minute and it took her a moment to realize who was standing in front of her.

"Jake what?" but he silenced her with a paw.

"Mom, Shh, I'm here to say goodbye, due to what happened a few days ago I didn't get to."

She let a tear drop, buy the look of her fur she had been crying quite allot, he nuzzled her, "Don't cry mom, we have a cave now less than a day away, and get this, I'm the leader, well be fine, there's allot of us. And,,, I'm also wondering if I can have this." He pawed the stone.

"Of course," she whispered, pushing it towards him "Oh baby I missed you so much, I promise I will visit." She nuzzled him back, "I love you Jake"

"I love you too mom." The commotion outside was getting too loud, "I gotta go mom, be seeing ya!"

She watched as her little man took off outside the cave, and then looked back to her other little man, who was still in the midst of his growth spurt, and sleeping soundly.

He ran out the cave and back up the cave and Cliffside, and back to the entrance. At the entrance several of the males, especially the one they had rescued Pyre from days ago, where teasing and pawing at Maggie who looked a little bit frightened, but even more pissed. "Listen babe" he said closing in on her as she slowly backed away growling, "Your going to either let us have you, or where going to eat you, your choice."

But he was brushed aside buy Jake who carried the stone in his mouth, "Lets go Maggie, they wont let us in."

The lion's eyes widened at the sight of the stone, "You bastard, that's your stone from the cave, you stole!"

The pair turned and started to walk away but Jake turned back, "I can't steal what's already mine."

"You where in the village, I can kill you know!" he leapt forward for the lions but Jake was prepared, he kicked strongly with his back foot and caught the other lion in his chest, sending him flying back, coughing. "Bastard" he said rising ready for another attack.

Jake turned, there was a fire in his eyes, a fire he had inherited from his father, a fire that made the other one back away, "You will never come for us again, if I ever see you threaten my people again I will kill in the slowest most painful way possible!"

The other lion eyes glinted at him in a psychotic way, "You… where not done yet."

Jake growled the stone grinding into his barred teeth, "You better hope we are."

As Jake and Maggie left Maggie bumped into him playfully, "There's our leader, I think your mane grew through that."

"What? Shuddap" he laughed.

Back in the cave Pyre nudged Rigger. "Wha?" he said half asleep, "Honey?"

"It's good, they let me go."

He drew her down to him with his paw, "That's great, now we'll celebrate in the morning." And he fell asleep almost immediately still holding her, and she let it happen, she curled up into him and let him sleep with her.

Morning had come when the other pair made it back, stone and all, and the group congratulated them and went on a breakfast hunt. Rigger commented on how his mane looked bigger than before, as it was almost Nairo's old size, all the lions where growing up and now Jake finally took in what his position meant, the lions would grow up under him, do what he said was needed, he may have not been king of the pride land but buy god he was king of this castle, and he would be the best one there ever was.


	6. Chapter 5

CH 5

So the family grew, buy his seventeenth birthday Jake had a full mane, and still a full life ahead of him, he had lead his group well up to then, always bringing home food, always protecting them, even watching out for the family hyenas. His mother and even brother visited every few months, as did some old friends of the group.

But not long after that birthday Pyre started showing signs of pregnancy, it had all started during a regular celebration of the seasons, both Jake and Rigger had noticed that she had become much more lethargic than she had ever been; she was not her usual self. As the days passed she got up less and less, she started to complain to rigger about pains she was having on the inside, at first they passed it off as regular pregnancy pains, but as the days passed she had to stop moving at all or risk to much pain, so while the boys and younger girls where outside playing or working, she was forced to sit around the cave not able to move an inch, being waited on buy some of the other lionesses and her concerned husband.

One day Rigger came up to Jake who was watching the sun rise, "Jake, don't mean to disturb your morning, but I think there's something seriously wrong with Pyre"

"Oh?" Jakes eye brow rose, taking his eyes of the sun and looking towards his cousin.

"Yes, do you have much knowledge in pregnancies?" he looked back concerned as there was a painful complaint came from his wife.

Jake thought a bit, he was older but in truth though he was considered pretty much an adult lion he only had seen two. "I've only two experiences; one was my mother's birth of my brother."

"Yes well, same here, but have you ever known anyone giving birth to be in this much pain outside of well, the regular giving birth process." He winced as Pyre roared again in pain and slight anger; someone was probably trying to make her more comfortable and was only succeeding in causing her more pain.

He thought about it a little, his eyes surrounded buy there dark rings and then hid buy full but still young mane, peered across the lands thoughtfully and at once his cousin though how majestic this lion looked, as if the leader position was his all along. "You know, I don't think so, I remember my mom moving around lots, and the other lady too, I'm almost positive. Could it be really serious?"

"I dunno, what will we do?" He brushed his paw over his maneless head.

Jake's gaze went to the north, where pride rock could barely be seen in the distance. "If you take over for today, I'll go get help." He got up and stretched ready for a morning run on the nice cool morning.

Jake started out the cave entrance when Rigger called to him, "From whom?"

Jake laughed over his shoulder, "From high people in high places." And he bounded off.

It was noon buy the time he reached the pride rock, and outside at the foot he was stopped buy a guard younger than he was, he didn't recognize him. "What's your business outsider?"

"I must see… the King, it's an emergency!" He had almost said Sara but thought that'd sound a bit wrong, but either way the guard wasn't having it.

"And what makes you so special mister hoity toity?" The guard asked shaking his head in a weird way.

Jake gave him an odd look, was this lion serious? He apparently was, he was refusing to let him in pride rock and he didn't have time to waist, Jake was about to get rough when the king came up behind the guard, "What's going on here?"

The guard bowed, as did Jake, "This one here wants to see you."

The new king had grown himself a little since Jake last saw him, he looked older and slightly more majestic, his mane was even fuller than it had been before, and he looked like a king, but still wore the same mischievous face he had always had. "Well you've seen me, now what…" he cut himself off and cocked his head, then stared even deeper at Jake, the scar across his face wrinkling in thought, "Jake, is that you?"

Jake nodded.

Kovu literally jumped the young adult, who almost fell back in surprise, "Jake! It's been years, my how you've grown, and what a mane." He was almost giddy about the reuniting, Jake was half expecting the King not to recognize him, "Jeez I haven't seen you since the flood, since before Simba died, it's been a long while, but hey, your not here to see me, you must be here to see Sara, she'll be delighted."

"Actually no sir," he interrupted which got him a hurt look from Kovu "I've got no time. You see I'm in need of someone with great medical skill."

Kovu eyed him, "Well I hope it's nothing too serious, but Rafiki and his clan of monkeys are great at medicinal herbs and what not. I'll take you to them." He nodded to the guard, "Tell my family ill be back later."

He ran off pride rock and away towards a giant tree and Jake followed. Not but minutes later Sara came down with her mother, eyeing her father and the strange lion in the distance "What was that?" She asked the guard.

"Dunno," the guard said watching the duo disappear into grasses, "Some guy your father was extremely happy about meeting that needed some help."

Kiara shrugged, starting down off the rocks herself, "Oh well, wanna get to hunting for tonight, maybe we can surprise him with something big."

But Sara was distracted, her nose to the ground where the stranger had stood, "That sent, it's so familiar."

Kiara laughed, sniffing the ground, "I don't know it, sure its not just one of your suitors?"

Sara shrugged this time, "Don't know, can't be too important," she started down, "come on mom."

Up in the trees they met with Rafiki, he was on in his age and unable to move from his seat, yet he still held his Cain, and he listened to the young lion's report of his sick friend.

"My god this _is _serious." Kovu admitted, turning from listening to the young lion back to the witch doctor, "Rafiki if there's anything you can do, it'd be appreciated, I owe this kid allot."

Rafiki laughed, "Unfortunately I can do nothing." At this Jake's draw dropped in distraught, the monkey grunted and hit something near his window, coconuts on a line rattled from the giant trees to a tree below.

Moments later a young baboon came up into the tree and passed between the two lions, and kneeled at Rafiki's chair, "Master may I help you?"

Rafiki just held out his staff, the other baboon didn't get the gesture, "I don't understand," Rafiki pushed it towards the young man till he was forced to take it. "But master, if, if you're…"

The elder monkey sighed, "I've been through the kings before Mufasa, and I have lived almost three generations of kings after him. I am no longer able to stand; I am no longer able to help those who can't help themselves. My sire, and master Jake, this is Riki, my son, and the new appointed shaman of the land, now my son, listen closely, this is what they need."

After Rafiki told his son of the happenings the young monkey grabbed an animal skin full of ingredients and started off only stopping to wait for Jake.

Jake turned and bowed to Kovu, "Thanks sir. Tell Sara I said hi."

Sara was on top of an antelope; her mother had already taken down one, when she stopped, her head jerking around in all directions, as if attacked, and the antelope pulled free and happily ran off away from the distracted lion.

"What's wrong?" Her mom asked eyeing the one that got away.

She shook her head, her eyes wide; she couldn't believe she had forgotten, "That scent! It's Jake!"

Her mom cocked her head, giving her daughter an amused look, "Who?"

But her daughter had already started running off towards the large tree south of there hunting land near there home. "I'll see you at home mom!" She yelled back, and her mother watched her disappear in the grasses and looked at her lone antelope, so much for surprise grand dinner.

She got to the tree as her father ambled out of it, "Dad! Jake!?"

Her father laughed and shrugged, "Sorry missed him several minutes ago honey. He's left back for home."

"But," she looked around for him, "he didn't even say hello." Her ears where downcast, her eyes began to well up, "Doesn't he remember?"

Her father nudged her towards home, "I'm sure he remembers you, there was just a medical emergency at the new family of lions he's in lead of."

She eyed him, "He leads a pack?"

He shrugged, "I guess, I know, I'd never think it either."

She tried to think of what this would mean, it probably meant he already had a lioness, almost every pack leader did, she wondered if he did remember her, or she was just as forgotten to him as he had been to her.

Back in the tree Rafiki laughed, "Don't worry young one," he said looking down on Sara, he then looked back up to the tree writings, on it was an adult lion with dark rings where his eyes where, "It's destiny."

Halfway home the monkey became extremely exhausted from all the running, and for time purposes Jake let him have a ride, which wouldn't had been bad if the monkey hadn't hooted and kicked and demanded to go faster the whole time. Finally when the moon had hit its own noon position they made it, time seemed so inconsistent in travel.

Rigger was outside the cave pacing and jumped towards them at their arrival. "Who's this?"

"Riki, our lands shaman." He said eying the monkey as he climbed off.

"What happened to Rafiki?" he asked as the he eyed the baboon passing him.

The monkey entered the cave waiving him off, "Too long story, show me the…" he eyed Pyre, she wasn't really asleep as much as she was too exhausted for the day to complain about her pains anymore, "never mind."

Pyre was resting as well as she could in her corner for the time being, but her paw still held her grown stomach, her face constantly twisted in pain. "You know how much time is left on her pregnancy?" He asked the duo that followed him in.

Rigger thought a bit, "Well considering the time she conceived, I'd say at least a month, if not two, but she's been like this for over a month."

"Dear not good," he said feeling the lioness's head, who startled awake and dreamily looked up at him. "She's hot, really hot, at first I thought we'd be lucky and she was having a premature birth, but that much time in pain, and this fever, no." He turned to Rigger and Jake, "Listen, I must stay with her for a few days, otherwise she and her child will not make it."

Rigger looked concerned towards Jake, Jake surprised again into realizing he was lead jumped, "Ah yeah, its fine, no problem."

"Good, you will need to seek many things for me, I need bamboo stocks you will find in the central pride lands, and two head sized stones, my head not yours."

The two nodded, and Jake put together a team, it consisted of himself, Nairo, Maggie, and Lien. He paced in front of them, it was usual for any speeches he gave weather he was just teaching, giving out orders, or chastising someone. "Tomorrow at sunrise we are to go out and get as much of the two things our good friend here has asked, we will do everything we can do to assist in his attempt to save Pyre and her Child. Do you understand?" He asked them, his voice was firm yet compassionate, the others nodded.

"Good, now let's get some rest, we have a long day ahead of us." He said heading for the middle of the cave as the others lied down; the last thing he eyed was Riki force feeding something white to the lioness who obviously thought it was bitter, her paw tightly digging into her mates, coughing a little.

The morning struck and as usual these days he was the first one up and about, he nudged the others in the team to get up, and eyed the distraught couple who slept, and the shaman who also slept near the cave's entrance. The morning was cool as it blew through his mane.

He pointed to Nairo and Maggie, "You two will head for the bamboo, Lien and I will hit out for rocks since we really can't use our noses for figuring out which rocks are bigger." The other two headed north for the bamboo thickets Riki had spoken off while Jake and Lien surveyed the surrounding area. Lien had grown to a lanky adult lion, but while his mane was full it still hung loosely around his face as if always wet.

"You know," Lien said, "The pride lands are not famous for having a great choice of rocks."

Jake nodded and peered over to the northwest, "I know, why do you think I chose you instead of Maggie."

Lien looked at him, an eyebrow raised, "Because I'm a good friend?"

Jake laughed, "I mean other than that." He said setting off in the direction he had looked towards.

Lien shook his head and sat, "Oh no, where not doing what I think your thinking of doing are we?"

"Two guys will most likely have an easier time traversing the Elephant Graveyard, its no place for a woman." He started off again.

Lien shook his head again but began to follow, "No! It's forbidden!" he pleaded.

Jake laughed again, "Like you've never been there."

Lien shrugged, "Just once, and I was severely scolded for it!"

Jake continued to laugh, "Come on Lien, look at us, where both full grown full maned adults. We are fierce lions, we may not be king of the pride lands but we are still king of beasts."

"Yeah but-"

"Silence, if you want you can go back home, it's the only place we'll find our selection of rocks."

Maggie entered the thicket, "Wow, I've never been here, look at all the bamboo; I never thought it was prominent on our land."

Nairo, his dark orange fur and his even darker brown mane, flashed from somewhere in the thicket, he spoke, his mouth already full of the plants, "Only in here," He came to her from the thicket.

"Wow, you'd look creepy if you're mouth wasn't full of sticks."

"Shuddap," Nairo growled, "Where's yours?"

"I'm getting to it."

Sara was still pissed at her old friend for not even stopping, she had spent a whole day pacing about the cave in though and disappointment, and finally she had decided to let out her frustrations buy hunting rabbits, some of the hardest creatures she had to ever catch, but some of the tastiest too, even the humans whom sometimes invaded their lands caught them for food. She was stalking a white rabbit when suddenly its ears perked up and it turned its head, eyeing her, and made a dash through some brush, she growled and leapt after it, and ended up sliding down an steep embankment. She ended up in some kind of waist land, looking around she immediately recognized it, and knew her father would kill her if he caught her here. She had ended up in the elephant graveyard; the waist land was strewn with large elephant bones and lots of rocks. She looked back up the way she had come, the hill was too steep and unsteady, and she'd just slide right back down. She had to find another way out before someone, or something, noticed her.

Jake and Lien stealthily entered the graveyard through the shadows of the cliffs, due to the rock's size they where to carry they'd find one each and make a run for it. They sniffed a bit, and looked around a lot, sneaking more than walking.

"This is impossible," Lien complained, "And it stinks of hyena filth and dead things here."

Jake shrugged, "It _is _a grave yard… wait? What's that?" He eyed movement of yellow beyond the next wall.

They snuck around the corner of the cliff and saw a yellow lioness that seemed lost.

Sara jumped when the two yellow lions edged around the corner after her; she hadn't even sensed them in the thick of the smells within the grave yard. She eyed them warily and was surprised when she recognized the male in lead. Not also did his sent give him away, but the circles around his eyes where unmistakable, still she was unsure if he remembered her, she decided to use her presence and commanding royal voice. "What are _you _doing here?"

Lien hunched, wondering who this girl in command was, Jake eyed her, "I think it's the princess." He whispered.

"Ah your friend?" he smirked, relaxing a little.

"I don't think she remembers me, look at her, she has no remembrance of me and what other lion in the kingdom has my eyes? Best play it safe, if her father finds out we where in here we are in deep shit." He rose in stature making sure he sat sure and proud as he eyed the princess, "And who are you to judge, the graveyard is no place for a young lioness as yourself."

Sara's heart clutched at this, as she thought he didn't even recognize her, she wondered if he remembered her at all, if he even had the rock she had shared with him so long ago. She shook that thought and the sadness it brang from her mind, his stature and his kept mane was that of a leader, his eyes where almost as noble and sure as her grandfathers had been, he had retained his head strong attitude, there was no way this mighty, albeit a bit skinny, lion didn't already have a mate of his own. "I do what I pleas stranger, but if the king finds out about either of us, we are in deep trouble. You keep to your own business, I'll keep to mine."

"Ah!" Lien said picking up an oval rock the size of Riki's head, "Found one!"

Sara eyed the stranger curiously, Jake just nodded to her, "I agree, neither of us where here, is there anything we can do for you before we head our separate ways?"

She eyed the walls of the cliff that made up the graveyard, "How'd you get in, I'm a bit lost."

He shrugged over his shoulder, "Over a ways is a little cliff side that's easy to climb, careful though, don't let the things in here see you."

"I can take care of myself," she said striding off as someone higher than them.

"I bet you could princess," Lien scoffed which got him an irritated look from Jake. He shrugged and picked up his rock, "I see another one over there, get it, its time to head home."

Buy the time the sun set Maggie and Nairo had made it back to the cave, they set down over two dozen bamboo sticks, two complete mouthfuls. Riki looked over the sticks and grunted, pleased with their find, "What about your partners?"

Nairo shrugged, "Dunno where they headed off to."

"Cant even smell them close to here." Maggie agreed.

Riki shrugged, "Probably headed for the Graveyard of Elephants."

This got a rise out of Rigger, who had been lying next to his wife the whole day, "What? He can't, it's forbidden, and dangerous."

Riki waved him off, "He'll be fine, only place with a good selection of rocks."

He ignored the monkey, climbing to his feet. "Guys, we gotta go find him." Just then his wife started moaning again, she had awoken, "Rigger, don't leave me…"

He sighed, "I won't"

But Maggie and Nairo headed back out, but the baboon stopped them, clearing his throat. "You're not needed; he is really capable of taking care of himself," the monkey insisted, knowing of his master's prophecy."

"Yeah well," Maggie called back, "If something happened to our leader and we didn't do anything about it I'd be feeling pretty low."

At that some of the lions decided to head out. The group lead buy the two headed North West, towards the desolate lands the elephants went to pass on.

The lions had taken a wrong turn and finally had made it back to where they met the princess buy the time the moon had began to rise. "That's the last time I let you lead us." Lien scoffed, taking the lead himself.

They where just pacing themselves for the climb up when they heard a Lioness, whom sounded angry, roar. "Was that?" Lien started.

Jake shook his head, "She was the only one down here." He said hurrying for the entrance.

When they rounded the corner from the cliffs they had come down on they noted the princess, surrounded buy hyenas, below her hid two very young cubs, one of them had a scar across his eye, it was recent, and his eyelid had puffed shut because of it, he looked frightened, but not as frightened as the lioness cub. Sara held her spot baring her teeth, ready to take on any of the hyena's that tried to hurt the young ones.

The two lions headed for her and with mighty roars leapt to stances surrounding the princess, baring there teeth and hunching ready to defend, or even attack. At first this surprised and impressed the young princess, then she shook her head realizing they where all trapped now.

"You fools" she scolded them, "You just trapped yourselves."

"I don't know about that my love," Lien laughed, "I only count a dozen, and I've eaten more."

But Jake was studying the walls, she was right, they had just rushed in without paying attention, the walls where littered with them, "Damn, I count near over two hundred, there's no way."

The packs leader came up with a retarded looking hyena that wouldn't stop laughing directly behind her. "MMM… I hope your enough for all of us big boys, cause we could use some good eats," she turned to her amassed army, "What you say fellas, enough for all of us almost!"

Maggie and Nairo watched from atop the cliffs still in the pride land, along with their small group, the moon was now a quarter the way up, "This wont be fair, even if we go into help they would massacre us."

Maggie just grinned, "You know how to roar don't you?" she turned and nodded to the others.

The lions where stunned buy what seemed an army of roars echoing off the caverns, it was as if an army of lions had been sent to rescue them, and Sara shrunk into herself thinking of her father, but whoever had done it had most likely gotten what they wanted, the massed army of hyenas scattered, afraid of being held up against an army of lions. But when they saw the dark mane and dark body all the lions could think off was king Kovu, coming down to scold his daughter and punish them.

But as soon as Jake saw Maggie, he knew he was wrong, the dark lion was in fact Nairo, his own people had come to save him, or at least a few of them. "Come" he said, "It wont take them long to realize they still outnumber us and rush back to their lost meal."

Once out of the graveyard they split ways, Nairo bowed to the princess, she bowed back, the two lion cubs followed her, apparently they too where from pride rock. She scolded them for being as troublesome as her grandfather on the way away from the other group.

On the way back Jake and Lien carried the rocks halfway and the other two the rest of the way. Jake's face was down cast the whole time, when Maggie trotted up next to him, "What's wrong old troublesome leader of ours?"

He sighed "It was the princess, we all know that now, but she didn't even notice me, didn't recognize me… didn't even remember." He stared up into the sky, the starry night was marred only buy a few wispy clouds, "It's as if I'm ill fated."

She shrugged, "Listen, she didn't forget, I know women, she just needs a little jump start, next time you get to travel near pride rock bring _the _rock, and maybe you'll get a rise out of her."

Sara escorted the cubs to the cave, and whilst she didn't tell their parents of the graveyard to save herself a scolding she did tell them they were not where they were supposed to be. She sighed and plopped down near the window Jake had looked out so many years ago when they parted, and Kiara sat down behind her, looking thoughtfully into her daughters blue eyes. "What's going on angel?"

Surprised she turned away from her mom, "It's nothing mom."

Kiara laughed, "I know that answer, more guy trouble is it?"

Sara sighed, "Something like that."

"Well you don't have to tell your old mother about it, but just remember you're heart always leads you in the right direction." Kiara started off when Sara stopped her.

"Mom, what if the guy you have truly loved your whole life came back one day, and didn't even remember you?"

Her mother looked thoughtfully back at her, "If the man truly loved you, he'd remember you no matter what, and if he didn't, then he's not worth a spec of your time." She smiled and turned back away.

Sara just went back to staring out the window, but her mother's words rang true in her head, if Jake had moved on, it was time she did too, maybe she'd take up another suitor, but that night all she could think of was the memories of Jake she had come upon again, and there she fell asleep watching the starry skies.

The moon had started to sink from its noon position buy the time the group of lions made it back with the two rocks. The monkey agreed they where satisfactory and then went to placing Pyre's head on one, and her back feet on the other, the lioness lightly complained, she knew they where for her well being but it still hurt to move even slightly. He came over to Jake and nodded, "Since you're the leader I thought it best to tell you, the next thing that happens is I must…drain her, it is a most private and kind of disturbing thing, I recommend out of mostly respect for her and her husband that you and everyone but them leave the cave, for the night at least."

Jake nodded, and then he rose to his middle seat amongst his lions, "Listen, tonight aside from the couple, Riki, and a guard posted at the door, we lions will sleep amongst the plains in this cool night." Several lions groaned in protest, "I don't want to hear it get moving."

So they slept the cool night away amongst the few trees and the grasses that surrounded his land, and tonight Jake was the last asleep, looking with pride over what he know thought as his people, a people who followed his command even when they had complaints about doing so, and he looked up to the night sky, somewhere up in the big black sky a star fell. As he began to doze off he wondered what Sara was doing, and he wondered if there was any hope for them.

Morning struck Jake's eyes but not quite as hard as the Riki's staff. "You better have a good explanation that hurt!" he growled squinting in the rising sunlight, and rubbing the spot on his head.

"How about good news," the monkey grinned.

Jake sat up quicker, blinking away hi sleep. "Sure, I'll settle for that."

"Good news is the baby will make it and the mother will be in less pain after tonight."

Jake sighed, "That is good, will Pyre make it also? I'd feel distraught if anything happened, it's my fault she's part of us in the first place."

The baboon just shrugged, "Only the birthing will see that through, I will be back in two months for it buy the way."

Jake placed a paw on the monkey's shoulder surprising him, "Thank You for all you've done, you're a friend to my people."

The baboon nodded and gave a small bow to the lion, then started off for home.

As the monkey left the sun began to rise into its quarter to noon position. Jake looked over his land and checked on the couple, Pyre was smiling for the first time in weeks aside that she had to stay positioned as she was for a couple of days, he also noted the cave smelled like her, allot, it was strong. He sneezed a little as he entered, getting a blush from the young adult lioness.

"I'm sorry."

Jake laughed, "Not your fault, I'm glad to see you looking so much better."

She nodded, "Thank you Jake, for bringing him, I don't know exactly what he was doing down there but I feel so much better. I think I should be able to move again in a week or so." She lied back down, no longer propped on the head sized rock, all the equipment from the healing had disappeared, and Jake guessed Riki had good since to get rid of it all.

He walked over to his center spot, and looked amongst some of his private things, then, deciding he had nothing better to do, and wanting to give the cave time to air out, he mouthed the rock Sara had once given to him and headed for pride rock. Buy the time he got to it was passing noon. He met with the same guard from before who welcomed him back.

"You've seen Sara around?" he asked.

He nodded towards the water hole where Jake and Sara had first met, "Left with a new boyfriend I think."

"What?" Jakes eyes widened a little, a boyfriend meant trouble.

He shrugged, "It happens, allot, her being princess and all, though I have to say to today she has yet to let one man touch her or hold her or anything, as if she's waiting for something."

Jake's spirits lifted back up, "Or someone."

Jake was quick to come off pride rock and start bounding through the grassy plains towards the lush watering hole.

The lion leaned against her, cuddling, and for now Sara allowed it, she supposed she shouldn't read to deep into it, and whom was she waiting for now, she had no one to wait for. "You seem distracted." He complained, a little concerned for the princess. To date he was the nicest boyfriend she had went out with, but he still wasn't the one to fill the empty spot in her heart, she knew that now.

She nodded, "Just a little, but don't let it get you, I'm still here with you."

Watching from the grasslands behind her unseen the words hurt Jake more than the cuddling they where doing, he didn't even think he'd may have taken it out of context, tears just began to form and flow, and he dug his claws into the rock, gashing it permanently, letting the geode interior shine in the sun.

He sobbed quietly and turned away, she had forgotten him.

Sara sniffed the air, alert, that smell, it was Jake, had he come back? She rushed for the spot and almost stepped on it, a rock, her rock, no, their rock. She noted the deep gashes and the smell of salt, someone had been crying. Then she peered back to the lion she had left in a stupor, oh god, she thought, he saw us together, he remembered me and now he saw us like that, what have I done?

"Jake!" she roared at the top of her lungs. She picked up her stone as she picked up his sent.

Jake stopped near a lone tree, a white and mostly barren tree, he thought he had heard his name, but when he saw the flock of bird in the distant behind him he waved it off. He crouched next to the tree, and placed his forehead and mane against it, his face downcast he just let the tears flow down his cheek and spot the ground. "You and I are so alike," he sobbed to the tree, his voice almost hysterical, "We will always be alone, everyone like us, alone till we die, destined to die old and alone and mostly unloved." He heaved in a deep snot filled breath, "How could I even imagine she'd remember me. I'll always be alone now."

"Not always" a soft voice came from behind him, he turned wiping his eyes with his paws and pushing his now matted mane out of his face. It was Sara, she set down the rock he had left behind, and stared deeply into him, just like she had so many years ago. "You have a family that looks up to you, and needs you; you have a mother that loves you no matter what trouble you've gotten into." She walked a little bit closer, "And you have me." She kissed him, it was his first real kiss ever that he could remember, and he nuzzled her back.

He started crying again as they nuzzled, but this time it was because his heart felt a new warm sensation he had left behind so long ago, "I missed you."

And he noticed she was crying along with him, "I missed you too."

That night the Jake and Sara slept beneath the tree he said would remain lonely like he would, and as they slept another sapling sprouted up beside it.


	7. Chapter 6

Ch6

When he got back to his caves he was greeted buy an irritated Rigger, "What was _that? _I didn't say you could take the night off, and buy the looks of it; it didn't go off so well."

Jake shook his head, his fur was matted and dirty and it looked as if he'd been crying all night long. "Your right, it didn't go well." He laughed the big grin on his face contrast to everything else, "It went _great._" He surprised Rigger with a warm nuzzle and took off towards the center of the cave where he stretched and looked over his lions, some where watching him curious, some where ignoring him, some where still asleep, but when he cleared his throat all listened.

"I have some great news, and some bad news," he smirked, "The good news is…." He drew it out, enjoying the attention he was getting, but then his smile started to waver when he thought about the bad news, he would never sit this position amongst them again, and they had been his family for so long, he shook off his thoughts and went on, "The good news is, I believe I have found my mate." At this several of the male lion hooted in praise. "She is, the Princess Sara."

"Way to go big guy." Lien Joked, clapping him on the back.

Jake grinned, he was blushing furiously but quieted the crowd with his paws, his face was still smiling, but his eyes had begun to sadden, "But there is bad news, I will be moving into Pride Rock due to regulations of marrying…a princess, along with any of my blood relatives." He nodded towards Rigger, and his pregnant wife, "And any of there wives and children. But the rest of my family, you of whom I've grown to love over the years," his eyes welled with a sort of emptiness he felt every time he had left a home he had grown attached too, "must remain, and I will need a replacement."

The crowd sat silently, apparently no one wanted to take up the call of the leader of their pack, meaning Jake would have to decide, and in truth he had no idea how he would, he knew most of them closely, yet didn't know which ones would be a good choice for taking his place. He looked amongst Nairo, he was one of the oldest, but Nairo looked away at his glance, unwilling. Jake sighed, he was about to go down and just tell Nairo it was him, when he was distracted buy a lion that stood amongst the quite.

Rigger stood, suddenly as proud looking as any lion, and cleared his throat "Despite that I'm a blood relative Jake, I don't mean any offense, but I feel my home is here. And though I may not be able to ever grow a mane like the other lions around here, I will be glad to take your position and lead our family for the rest of my life." He bowed and then smirked, "your majesty."

"Don't call me that," Jake grinned, and looked around, the family nodded in agreement, "It seems they accept you," he walked over and placed his paw on his cousins shoulder, "I pass to you title of head and leader of this family, of master of the cave, watch over this cave and its inhabitants," he nodded to the hyenas "even them."

There was more cheering, some of the family looked sad to see there long time leader leaving, "And on this large occasion it is also my birthday,"

Lien gasped, rising to his feet, "That's right, your eighteen, and official adult lion, jeez."

He nodded, "and as it happens so many large happenings within our family will constitute a party, at least in my family it did, so everyone, we will hold an inner cave party so even Pyre can enjoy the evening."

But to everyone's surprise, Pyre climbed unsteadily to her feet getting a concerned look from her husband, "No, I think I'd like it outside more, it's getting kind of stuffy in here, with your big head and all." Everyone laughed at this, Jake nodded, and the pack went outside to throw one of the biggest celebrations Jake had ever attended, his family had grown, not also older, but larger, and he was proud of them.

Sara ended up back at Pride Rock later that evening just before the party to the south commenced, Kovu just raised a curious and demanding eyebrow to his daughter. "And where have you been?"

She sighed, plopping and laying down on the cool floor, "Having the best night of my life."

"Well I'm glad you where, but…" He eyed her last suitor who had come home concerned when she had run off and she blushed.

"I'm sorry, I guess I have an announcement to make," she smiled nervously at her last suitor, she hated to dump this one as easily as the others, he had been very kind, "first daddy, I need you to round up some guards ready for travel." The other two just looked at each other curious.

The celebration, though not as quite as large as the one there former home threw with the crowning of the new kings, was enough to stir attention and get a few outside families to join in. Jake even met with a former house mate from his first house he hadn't seen in a while. There was cheering, eating, and drinking of something the monkey's produced in there trees that made the Lions' heads spin.

The party went on till the moon rose a quarter of the way into the sky, and two royal guards came for Jake. In an interesting twist he never experienced the leading royal guard bowed to him. "Sire, we are here to escort you and your family to your new stay."

Jake looked around this family, out of all of them Rigger had been the only true relative; Pyre now tied to him buy pregnancy. He nodded to Rigger, the new leader of the troupe who nodded back, he nuzzled Maggie who had began to cry, and said his last goodbyes to his family, Maggie wasn't the only one with tears in her eyes. "I will see you again, and visit often, but I shall as a prince." He grinned jokingly.

"There's that big head of yours again!" Pyre joked from somewhere in the group and everyone laughed, though some of the laughter was more solemn.

He tried to keep his composure, and walked away with a nod hoping that when he passed again on his way back they'd still be enjoying there merry party. He made a mental note to remember to return in two months time for the birth of Pyre and Rigger's child.

"Sire we are walking the wrong direction, Pride Rock is back that way." One of the guards trotted up to him complaining.

He smiled, "I gotta go get my family first." He said walking towards the ravine he was still forbidden to enter.

The young orange guard snorted to attention when he noticed four older lions coming his way, and blocked the entrance with himself as taught. He was a dark lion in his teens and had a small yellow mane sprouting from his head, not much one though. The lions that where walking towards him all had the sense of high living aside from the one in the middle, it was as if the other three, which seemed war worn and scar ridden, where protecting the middle lion, a great yellow lion.

"Make way!" The lead commanded.

The kid winced, then regained his composure, "For whom?" The young guard commanded back.

"For the guards of the Royal Command and your new Prince!" The guard exclaimed thrusting his chest out with pride.

The cub eyed him warily; he needed some kind of proof.

But then, even with protest from one of the guards, the center lion edged around the front one, his light brown eyes peered deeply into the guards hazel eyes. Just then the guard noted the lion's eyes, the orange circles around them, he was breathless, speechless.

But Jake wasn't, his eyes widened at recognizing his little brother, "Brae? Oh my god is that you?"

Brae nodded a little shy.

"Oh my god, it's been a while since you and mom last got to visit, you've grown allot, and is that a mane?" he quickly had his arms around his brother, one of the guards shifted nervously, getting a look that said calm down from over Jake's shoulder.

Brae just hid his hair with his paw, "It's nothing, but you, a prince?"

"Yeah I know, right?" Jake laughed; he turned to the Royal Guards, "Guys this is my brother," and then turned back to Brae, "You know I'm here to accept my family to travel with me and live in Pride Rock."

Brae leapt up onto his brother, "Are you serious, _in _Pride Rock?"

Jake laughed, "Yep"

His brother looked back towards the ravine, "Ok, but only if mom says yes, I don't wanna leave her."

Jake nodded, "I understand."

Brae got someone to relieve him and now five large, the group headed down into the ravine.

Almost just inside a sick looking dark orange lion scoffed from near a watering hole in the ravine, "You! You can't be here! You're forbidden." He leapt to his feet growling, Jake recognized him as the attacker so many years ago, but he had become sickly, skinnier than any lion he had ever seen, and allot of his mane and spots of his fur and fallen out.

As he started for Jake two of the guards leapt in front of him baring there full set of teeth, the other staid close to Jake and his brother.

"Get out of my way, my fights with that lion!" The sickly lion growled.

"You dare threaten the prince!" the leader guard growled, "That is punishable buy death!"

The lion drew back, "What? No! I threaten…what?" He backed away crouched, obviously confused; Jake had seen this guy had gone from bad to worse since the last time they tangled, where the bald spots where, there where warts and soars, this lion looked to be nearing his end. "I'm sorry, I didn't know." He grovled.

"To late," the leader moved forward.

"No!" Jake ordered, the guard hunched at the loud command and drew back a little still guarding him, "No, let this poor thing suffer the last of its days out in full, besides, no telling what you might catch from it."

"As you wish sir." The guard nodded a bow to him.

The lions head went low as did his ears; finally Jake felt the lion knew he was defeated. But he didn't like the lion's eyes, the body showed defeat, but the fire in his eyes showed contempt and hate, a hate that would burn until his life was gone. He turned to another lion, an older lion he recognized as a regular around the ravine, and nodded, "Have you seen my mother."

The lion nodded, "She's in her home, with some of the other lionesses, chatting away her golden years." He laughed a little hoarse, "Little Jake, a prince, who would have guessed."

Jake nodded, if people kept doing that he was going to start blushing again, and turned towards the ramp up the ravine, to his old home. Inside his mother's home they where greeted ecstatically.

"Jake!?" she said putting her arms around her son, he got some weary looks from the other lions that knew he was outcast, but they also knew that royal guards meant official business no one interrupted. "What are you doing in here; you're not in trouble with the kingdom this time are you?"

He laughed, "No ma, it's nothing like that."

An uncle of his Critter, a large orange lion with a dark mane, came up beside her, "Got to be something you toting around half the royal force behind you."

Jake nodded, "We'll… I'm moving to Pride Rock, and I'm here to pick up mom and my brother if they wish to tag along." He playfully bumped his mom.

His mom's face sagged a little, "Pride Rock? You mean?"

He nodded, "I found her mom, after all these years I found her," he laughed a little, "and where going to get married."

Mattie sat, a little speechless, "My goodness." She felt for her face, and some of her brothers came to her to see if she was alright. "I'm fine damn you. Jake, wow, a prince."

He shrugged, "Something like that."

Brae came around to his mother, "So mom, can we?"

She eyed he son, and smiled, "Live as royalty, you're darn right where moving to pride rock."

"Yea!" his brother shouted enthusiastically and ran to go tell some of his friends.

Jake watched him walk off and then looked back towards his mom, she nodded, "It'll be nice to have you around again little Jakie."

"It'll be nice to be around you again mom."

It appeared his mom and his brother was all that was truly left aside from some aunts and uncles that insisted on staying. So the family he left with was his mother, still amazed at the news, his brother who was enjoying the royal treatment, and his cousin Davine who insisted against his mother's whishes he'd go so he could become a royal guard. Davine had grown tremendous since his childhood and had only recently moved into the ravine, he far out weighed any of the lions in the group, and his muscles where still to big for his size; he looked like he could tear an elephant in half.

On there way back they took the long way around the party, which was still going, if more lightly than before, and snuck buy some of his old family sleeping the night away in the plains. There was no need to bring back the emotions of departure, Rigger was now their leader.

Midway to Pride Rock from his former family, they passed the tree where the two of them had met buy a day ago, and the sun began to rise. A glint of their stone caught his eyes, and he wandered over to it.

"Sire, we don't have time to stop." The lead guard complained.

"Shh," Brae silenced them, and they gave him contempt and confused looks, not sure if they should follow his orders, his mom just curiously watched her eldest son.

Jake walked up next to the tree, above the stone they had left here that night. The gashes he had made in it glinted with beauty in the morning sun, and his first idea was to take it to his new home as a souvenir, but then he rethought, he was with her now, there was no reason for him to keep the rock, instead he pushed on it with all his might and it sunk deeper into the sandy plain ground. Now it would stay here forever, in there new place that he already decided there official marrying would take place. He turned and nodded to the group, who was all watching him, and he got a nod back from his mother, who took lead, while the guards waited on him.

It was past noon when they entered the lower half of Pride Rock, every guard saluted or bowed to him and his family, it was a weird feeling.

"I can get kind of used to this." Brae grinned as an servant bowed out of the group's way.

"I know," Davine agreed, "This will be so awesome."

Jake turned back to them as they walked, "Don't you ever abuse the power you're given here or as future king of this land I will revoke your power and have you sent back, understand."

Brae laughed, "Yeah right!"

Their mom dropped back to the young kids, "You listen to your brother Brae, you too Davine, I agree with him, never abuse your power." Then she eyed the servants, "Of course you can't abuse power when it comes to servants waiting on you."

Jake laughed shaking his head, but grinning "ah I brought utter monsters to Pride Rock; they'll hate me for this."

In the cave, in the main chamber, Kovu sat as royalty atop the center, two of the guards took Jake's family while another two escorted him to Kovu. Kovu, who didn't look at all pleased, had his wife sitting to his left, who looked a lot softer, and even shown sign of appreciation, and to his right was Sara who looked a bit nervous herself.

The Guards bowed to all the royalty and then walked back to the rest of the family who watched from the walls of the chamber.

"Jake Sartre, of the late Tatter Sartre, I hear you plan to wed my little girl."

Jake nodded, silent. Kovu meanwhile descended towards the slightly worried lion, the eyes in those orange rings grew wide, he could feel himself start to heat up, he sure he was probably shaking a little. Kovu got face to face with him; his eyes squinted into hateful slivers, "Well then."

And he embraced Jake, whom let go of his held breath and sighed into his new father-in-law's embrace. "Welcome to the family."

"Dad your such an ass," Sara said laughing as she came down from the center to nuzzle Jake, "I don't know why you insist on scaring everyone I know."

"I'm the king, it's my job!" he laughed grinning, he then curtsy bowed his head towards Jake's family, "Come away from the wall, you are allowed to traverse Pride Rock at your will, you are now part of the family."

He turned to the whole cave; "Today will be an immense celebration, first the wedding" he winked at his daughter, "held wherever the lovely couple would like it to be, and then the crowning of a new prince here on Pride Rock, all lions should attend the latter if not both!" And with that he turned and nodded to several birds except for the hornbill flew to announce the news. "Zazu, wake up!"

The hornbill yawned and stretched its wings, "I heard you sire but don't you think I'm a bit old for playing tell the world the news."

Kovu laughed, "Indeed a bit, instead you will go with these two," he nodded towards Jake and Sara, "and scout out their marriage site."

"Of course your majesty," he said taking off, "Come on you two." He said as he was out the entrance with the lions hot on his trail, "Boy ill be glad when these two wings of mine stop working and I can retire." He muttered, partway out he looped back behind the group, finally letting the lions take lead.

They arrived back at the tree, the sun just past a quarter into the new day. "Here?" she said, looking around, the tree had begun to bud since a night ago, and the sapling next to it had grown as well.

He nodded, nuzzling her, "It's the happiest I've ever been, right here, and I think that makes it the best spot to have it," he smiled at her, then caught himself, "um, if you think so that is."

She returned a warm smile and nuzzle, the princess on the location of the wedding, she thought it the most romantic thing ever, and preparations went underway. For Sara raised as royalty since birth it was easy, for Jake was a different story, he had to learn how to sit, uncomfortably he thought, and speak, also a bit odd in the high way of speaking around here. He also had his mane, which he liked, groomed and cleaned buy the servant lionesses. Buy the time the wedding started he looked not much like a whole new lion, just a cleaner Jake.

Jake stood below the tree his back facing it, his feet behind the rock that had recently brought them together like he though would never have happened, and his heart swelled with joy, pride, and a bit of sorrow when he saw his bride enter, he was entering a new age for himself, but at the same time he was leaving allot of the old him behind. She too had been groomed for this occasion and to him she looked more beautiful than ever, she walked down the center of the crowd, led buy the king, and towards where he, and Riki, stood. During this commencement the king bowed to Jake, and eyed him, "Take good care of my little girl." He said, and Jake nodded.

Then he walked away and left standing there was his love, she walked up to him an nuzzled him, then turned towards the crowed, behind the rock, each having two paw touch it, and towards Riki.

"So we come here in commencement of these two that will be wedded, and we will realize, each and every one of you, the difficulties and joys that come with marriage." Rigger who was in the massive audience along with his nearing birth wife nodded in agreement.

The sun started to set behind the tree as the ceremony came to an end, and to everyone in the crowd they saw something weird, when his dark eyes grew darker and a halo seemed to outline his head, they saw the new king, and something else, but no one yet knew what fate had in store for any of them.

"So I announce you Lion and Lioness, Husband and Wife, you may now kiss the bride," and he turned to the crowd, "But keep everything else for the bush's!" he said in a joking tone.

"Riki!" Kovu yelled almost pouncing the baboon as he swung up into the tree, "I thought I told you no jokes!"

"Sorry, my dad insisted I keep tradition." This got a laugh out of the crowd.

The festival afterwards was great, most the time they spent cuddled under the tree, then as the sun finally let go of the day, and night rose, they went back to Pride Rock where the largest congregation of animals Jake had ever seen greeted him as he and the king where the only ones on the ledge of Pride Rock. Riki joined them and through ceremony spread some powder around Jake's face making him sneeze. And as the king announced the new prince all the animals that had attended including Riki himself and several friends he recognized, his whole family was there in front row, bowed and roared in praise. He sat looking over the kingdom, as it finally settled onto his shoulders what kind of responsibility he had gotten himself into.

Jake woke to sunlight hitting him through the window, he looked around disoriented clawing at some crust in his eyes, he was in the royal sleeping chambers, he slightly remember his family desiring to sleep out in the main chamber with the rest, a paw was around him and he noted it belonged to Sara, for the first time since they parted they had slept together a full night, and this time it had been okay to lie next to each other. He got up and smacked his jaws, no matter how old he grew up morning breath never tasted good, he expected himself to be hungry but after the celebration last night, one he barely remembered much of after the crowning, he was quite stuffed. A half yawn half roar alerted him that Kovu was also up.

"What's up?" the new prince nodded to the king.

Kovu shrugged stretching the kinks out of his body, "I think like I was told once I married your mother in law and Simba was told buy his father, I will give you the your going to be a king now speech." He smirked, and Jake followed him out, onto the ledge of Pride Rock, over looking most the land he could almost see to his first house in the distance, and the tree where he had wed to the south.

"You've been everywhere buy now boy, so you know the pride land almost as good as I have come to know it. But to be king one day you must traverse it all, you must know every inch, every square of it."

Jake shook his head in agreement.

"So has it hit yet?" Kovu asked.

Jake rose his eyebrows, "What?"

Kovu laughed, "That feeling, the first feeling I got when I looked over my future pride land, to think we become kings with no royal blood just because we fall in love with the right people. And to think, I can still remember you all those years ago when you where just a maneless cub, didn't even really realize who we where back then."

Jake nodded, "No I didn't, but I did feel what you just described, I felt it last night during the crowning ceremony, when I looked at everyone I knew, didn't know, and some of the animals that might be on tomorrows menu, all of them bowing and praising me, it hit."

"Ah hell" Kovu laughed, "Well I'm wasting my time then. Come; let's go get us some breakfast."

Jake shrugged, "why not?"

And the lions and lionesses of Pride Rock grew to accept him, and the land accepted him as the next king. Two months later the Prince, who's official kingly name was Jacob, ended back at his last home, watching as Riki and Rigger birthed Pyre's daughter. At first it started bad and seemed it was going to end worse, just when Pyre had just about given up on doing it her daughter had come, crying her head off, a healthy sign Riki noted. But the trials where not over, Riki had to make sure Pyre would survive.

After a while Jake finally came over to there side, it wasn't looking good, there was allot of blood, and Rigger was crying, while Riki was telling everyone she wasn't done yet.

Jake, unsure what to do, did the only thing he thought he could do, he put his paw on their new daughter and gave her a royal blessing his predecessor had taught him about. Rigger nodded in thanks to him, and then eyed the crowd; Rigger had the worse feeling in the world something bad would happen. So the prince rose and ushered everyone out of the cave, no one back talked him when he was this high up in the command ladder, and now they all sat outside the cave waiting.

Finally they got there answer, as mournful roar came from inside the cave, Riki came out, his head low, his hands bloodied "I did all I could, but she couldn't make it."

Some of the family mourned the loss, some where just somber about it; Jake didn't know how to feel but kept his composure. For the two months he had been gone he had grown slightly detached from all of them, and there where even new faces within the family, but they all seemed like they where his own still. He nodded to Riki and made his way into the cave alone where Rigger sat sobbing and shaking over his dead wife.

Jake sat next to him and let Rigger lean his head on his cheek sobbing, Jake finally let go a single tear, "I'm sorry Rigger, It's my fault she joined us in the first place, if it wasn't me we'd all still be in the ravine enjoying life, maybe only recently moving out, she'd still be alive."

Rigger shook his head still leaning on his cousin, "No, Rafiki says it was uncontrollable, any time she'd ever had tried to give birth this would have happened. Some kind of deformity caused buy a disease when she was little." He sobbed and snorted some of the mucus out of his nose, "I love you dearly Jake for bringing her to me or me to her, and letting me have the best few years of our lives, I know she feels the same." He finally came off of Jake and looked down and Pyre, aside from all the blood she looked more peaceful than ever before, he looked towards the cave roof, and beyond it, "And now she's in a better place wherever that might be." He then noticed the newborn cub slowly trying to wriggle on her mom's belly, and cradled her with one paw, she was so tiny, and cried out while being lifted off of her mom. "I'll need someone to nurse her, or she won't make it."

Jake nodded, "I think I know who," he nuzzled his new second cousin, "so what will you name her."

Rigger held her up with both paws and she cried out again, "I think I'll name this young lady, not only blessed buy the prince, but buy the birthing into this world her mother gave her, and for that I will name her for that beautiful girl, for she will grow up to look as beautiful as her mother, I'm sure. I name her Pyre." He said and held the little newborn close enough to Nuzzle. Jake smiled and left his cousin to be alone.

He nodded to Maggie who nodded back, the only other adult lioness of the group close to their age knew what was coming, and from the panting she was doing her body was already working on it. He put a paw on her shoulder, proud of how mature his friends had become, "He, and his little girl, will need you now."

She nodded, "I know."

When finally the mourning was mostly over and Rigger stumbled out proudly carrying his newborn in his mouth, his muzzle still matted with tears that where still lightly flowing. Several of the male lions of the family, including Jake himself, dragged Pyre's body out and gave it a burial, it was Jake's first real burial since the loss of his father, and the first where he was doing the digging and burying. Though he didn't know pyre as well as everyone else had come to know her he had grown up as a friend to her, as a cousin in law, and he still felt partly responsible for her death.

Just after the funereal Zazu flew up to Jake, "The princess asks for you to come home for now."

He looked the bird over, and then turned his eyes to the sky; the sky was darkening, though it was noon, the clouds thickened and rolled over head.

Zazu nodded, "Riki and Rafiki said a tremendous passing they both felt, and the rise of the heat, would trigger a storm we haven't seen in years, something like the flood from several years ago."

Jake nodded, starting to walk towards his new home, "Yeah, I remember it."

He stopped buy Rigger, "You know, the offer still stands, come stay with me, and bring your daughter."

Rigger smiled his daughter still in his mouth, "No, no this is my home still, and these are my people now, and this is where my love is laid to rest, no, there's too much here for me to leave."

Jake nodded, and headed off for Pride Rock, along with Zazu and the guard that had escorted him here.

As the clouds broke and the lightning lit the sky, halfway back, the rain began to pour, but meanwhile in the ravine his family had once been a part off, another, seedier, plan was being put into motion, not everyone liked the new prince.

As the rain struck and lightning tore open the sky, large yet sickly paws dug deep into the afternoon guard's neck at the entrance of the ravine, and welcomed buy the traitorous lion, hyenas and spotted panthers of all ages and sizes entered the ravine, this would be there base of operation.

The other lions tried to escape the massacre, but they where unable to, their security in having only one way in or out became there doom, the big cats killed the lions, and hyena's ate the bodies. In the end there was only one lion left in the ravine, the sickly looking lion that had started the trouble for Jake and his family, and as the hyenas and other cats watched with interest, he spoke, "Follow me to a new era of pride land rule!", he screamed over the rain, and he took his right paw, flicked out a claw, and cut a deep incision over his right eyelid, "And I shall be known as Scar!"


	8. Chapter 7

Ch7,

While scar took a couple of years building his army, slowly the lions closer to the ravine noticed something was wrong, but no one ever took a chance to go find out what had happened. Jake took those years practicing to rule the country and doing as his father in law instructed him to do. He surveyed most the land staying away from the areas he already knew, and thus missed the ravine as it is in its current days.

Buy the age of twenty his mane had grown fuller and he looked like more of an adult, in fact Kiara kept spouting about how much he had grown to look like her father except for his eyes. Not one lion except for Simba was ever told of the legacy, and when Rafiki passed away Riki whipped away all his notes as well, starting fresh.

What came hardest to him was the acting of royalty, mostly done buy Kiara herself. He had to act, talk, walk, and look like a lion of royalty to be king, yet he couldn't help but notice the king's smug little smirk every time he had one of these classes. Jake usually found himself tripping over his own feet while prancing through a fake crowd, or fumbling with "high speech". One day he was done with a day of that training resting upon the ledge of Pride Rock when Kovu came out grinning, "Bunch of nonsense isn't it?

Jake nodded, "I get the idea, but it's harder than it seems."

Kovu smiled, "It's only something you gotta use during speeches and gatherings and whatnot, and I had the same trouble when my father in law tried to teach me. Oh man, you should have been taught buy Simba, he wasn't half as patient as my wife is." He looked over his land, it was a quite sunset, "But good news is, you don't gotta use it unless it's something special. Note I just said gotta, my wife would kill me." He laughed, and Jake joined him.

As the years progressed Jake watched Kovu and Kiara grow older, and seemingly prouder, as the current royalty of the kingdom, and he wondered just how he'd be when he was a king who has had his share of troublesome years. But his share of troublesome duty would come, before he was crowned king.

He was trudging around some of the muddier land one foggy day when he heard something calling his voice during a private hunt for a snack, he followed it to the tree, and noted that he ended up above the rock he had been wed at; he stared at the rock, had it called him? Then he noticed the lioness staring at him teasingly from behind the tree.

"Hiyas Jake," Sara said slyly, brushing her rump against the tree seductively, she was still the same old beautiful blue eyed woman he had fallen in love with. "Don't you know that kids half our age are having children these days, what's taking us?"

He blushed and stuttered a little, but she came over to him and caught him buy the ear, tugging him past the tree into the grasses. It was both there first, and it was for that, that it was the most meaningful, and blissful.

Jake awoke in the fog to his name again, this time Sara was sleeping below him, panting hard from exhaustion but sleeping none the less, there was no way it was her this time.

"Jake" it whispered, and as it did on the other side of the tree something bright flashed.

"What the?" he got up stumbling a little from exhaustion.

Sara stirred, "Honey?"

"Nothing, just going to check something out, go back to sleep."

He edged around the tree they had wed at, it had grown full and large, and the small fledgling below it, while dwarfed buy its older family member, was getting to a good size. On the other side the fog seemed to part above a single place, the rock, their special rock. And then it called his name again and flashed with brilliance. A little frightened but more curious he picked up the rock, and held it in his paws as he sat, and as he did it began to crumble, till nothing but a glowing crystal was left. And as the crystal touched his paw, he saw flashes, flashes of hell, flashes of lions that looked like himself in some kind of weird clothing, flashes of humans invading, and flashes of a sickly looking scar. He began to scream.

He was awoken buy Sara, who was looking extremely concerned, into his face, the fog was gone, completely, and he still stood under the tree, gripping the crystal in his paw.

"What happened?"

He shook his head, staring at the rock, "I'm not sure, I just saw our rock start to glow, then in crumbled into this," he held the rock out to her, "And then I saw things, they where, kind of scary." He began to shake, feeling sick.

She looked concerned over him, "you don't look so well."

He got back up, trying to shake off the feeling of sickness, "Yeah, it'd be better if we get out of here."

She looked concerned as they turned away, and he smiled nudging her, "Don't worry, I had fun."

She smiled and blushed, she had almost forgotten.

She took him back home and they lied down, meanwhile with some of the servants looking after him Kiara took her aside. "You dad may be too oblivious to the obvious but you reek of sex, what _have _you been doing?"

Sara gave her mom a drawn back and shocked look, "Mom! We're grown adults!"

Kiara shook her head, "Look I know, I'm just your mom is all, and what if whatever he has gotten you caught from him."

"I don't think he had it, I think he got it after, I think he…" she quieted when she saw it, the little ball of crystal rolled out of her husbands grip and stopped, like a eye watching the world, "God, from _that,_" she said pointing to it, "Don't let anybody near it!"

After alerting Kovu they had a servant fetch Riki, at first he studied the crystal, then safely scooped it up into a skin bag, and then went to the side of Jake, he was still in a deep state of sleep. Riki studied, him, growing a bemused look over his face, he smiled back at the family of lions, Mattie had finally shown up along with her other son.

"He's going to be alright, he's just high."

Kiara's eyes narrowed, "High?"

The baboon laughed, "Oh yeah, you lions don't do that! Well in most cases when two herbs are mixed it at first gives the user an great sensation, but afterwards racks hell on the body, the prince here is in the second stage, but you say he got it from this?" he held up the bag.

Sara nodded.

"Well if you're right about his visions I've had students do this before, visions will give you a sense of being high, and the after effects." He put the bagged stone in the corner of the room buy Jake, "anyways that makes this his to figure out what to do with it."

"Will he get better?" Sara asked sitting down next to her husband?

He nodded, "Yes, and when he does do ask him what he saw, it's usually important."

As Riki said several hours went past and suddenly Jake awoke from his deep sleep as if nothing had happened that day, but he eyed the bag wearily, he somehow already knew what was in it. He got up and yawned, it felt like he had slept years away, right next to him his little princess slept as well, he started to blush, they both smelled like they had just had sex, the whole cave must have known buy now.

That night the whole royal family, the king the queen the prince and princess, went out to hunt, and again under the starry night after dinner, away from the parents, Jake and Sara made love.

As they sat afterward in each other's arms as the moon started past its quarter of the way up position Sara laid her head against her husband. "You know, I have this feeling that crystal was a bad omen, you sure you can't remember much?"

He laid his head atop hers as she listened to his heartbeat, "All I remember is lots of fire and Scar, for all we know it could just be telling us that scar is rotting away in hell."

"Would you scream at that?" she asked

He thought for a minute, he couldn't remember screaming, "I screamed?"

"Yeah, while you where asleep in the field you screamed, that's why I came over to check on you." She looked up to her husband's face, "You don't remember."

He shook his head, "No… but, If I saw hell I'd bet I'd scream a whole bunch." He smiled playfully nosing Sara's ear.

That night in the cave to the south Maggie had finished taking care of the two year old cub who now saw her as her mother. Rigger had gone and married Maggie after he fell in love of how well she took care of the young Pyre. She sat Pyre down with Rigger, and stepped out of the cave, something was wrong to the south, something just seemed wrong. That's when Lien and Nairo came around her, "You sense it to?" Nairo asked, his orange fur shimmering in the moonlight.

She nodded, "Something from our home, it smells… allot different."

Lien grimaced, "I smell hyena."

They nodded to each other, and set off south for the ravine leaving only a word with the cave's night guard.

Jake came upon Kovu, who was staring to the south, "There's a dark spot over there where there never once was one, I wonder if it's in the pride lands."

Jake eyed the distance, he didn't see it well, but he could smell it, the wind from the south was warm and harsh today, "It smells pretty bad, but that's the way of my home… my old home, and the ravine, should we go check it out?"

Kovu eyed him, "One thing Simba lectured me enough about, and I know why now, is that a prince and future king of the land, _never_ puts himself in imminent danger. We will send some scouts down tomorrow when the sun rises; it's about a days walk to the ravine without stops."

Jake nodded, "Well I can't get sleep either way, and Sara's off somewhere, I'm going to look around a bit, been here for a while and still don't know pride rock as well as I do half the land." He grinned.

Kovu laughed, "Yeah well that won't be good during an attack."

Jake laughed in agreement and trotted down the hill past several sleeping lionesses and the guards, and around back, as he nodded to some of the other ones who where awake he caught Sara's sent and followed it to a little cave below the caves, in the back of pride rock. There Sara stooped, there where three markings, he guessed three graves; he came up and sat behind her looking over her shoulder.

She pawed the third grave site, "This is Cynthia, you remember her?"

Jake nodded, "How could I forget, it was such a hard time for you."

She nodded, and then leaned back onto her husband, "Even then you where ready take on anybody. I have a feeling that more graves, graves like this, will be coming soon, mass graves, of our friends, our families, and our enemies."

"Enemies?" he was a bit surprised, the pride had no true enemies anymore.

"Call it intuition, but there's a new scent in the air. That plus your premonition, I have the worse feeling it will lead to a war that will kill off my friends, my family, even you."

He held her tight, "I won't ever leave you."

The next morning a troop of seven male lions and one female made there way to the ravine, buy nightfall they had reached the midway caves, and received word that a day or so ago three of there own had gone looking and never came back. After resting till morning the guards once again set off for the ravine, a half a day later they'd come upon the tragedy. Lying strewn on the ground, in the midst of two spotted panther guards lie Lien, he had been dead for a couple of days now and the buzzards had made pickings of him. The scouts made a fight with the guards, a couple of spotted panthers, and got the attention of the others, only the female lion made it away safely, and all but one other where killed.

Maggie jumped when another lion, his ear torn and shoulder bloody from battle, was thrown into the cave they where being held in. They being herself and Nairo, they too had fought the panthers and other cats, and Lien had paid the ultimate price. Nairo was also sans his right ear, or most of it, and the hair on his face was clotted with lots of blood. The panthers had been allot gentler with her and she was only scratched a couple of times, Rigger would kill her once he found out what she had gotten herself into, she was sure of that. What was worse was the moments she had been left alone with the lion, that same lion from so long ago, so week and sickly yet so strong he had easily over powered her, she just hoped he hadn't gotten her sick after their…tussle.

She walked over to the new lion that cringed back and then let her look at his wounds, "Who are you?"

"These assholes worse nightmares," he cringed as she pressed against a bleeding tooth hole and then licked it, trying to make it heal, "I'm a royal scout, as soon as the King and Prince that sent us find out where gone they'll come down here with the whole royal army, and I-"

"Good," said a lion that entered, Megan recognized him despite hi sick state of being, her stomach turned again at the state of him, and what he had done.

"You, you bastard, I should have known, I bet you helped to kill everyone else too." Lien growled, the eye on the scarred side of his face puffed shut.

He laughed, and then coughed, "No dear, I orchestrated it, does it look like I could kill several dozen lions? No these fine gentlemen did it, and the hyena's cleaned them up, I believe your equally plump though aged mother was exceptionally tasty to them." He growled looking towards Maggie.

"You bastard!" she screamed and made for him but was thrown to the floor buy an injured foot, grunting to a sitting position again.

He laughed, his laugh sounded half evil half crazy, the scout just peered at him, "Who are you?"

The lion laughed again, "Me? You can call me Scar."

The scout's eyes widened at that name, how it could be? Scar was dead. Nairo scoffed, "You're no scar, Pat, you're just pathetic."

The dark lion walked up to and used his claw to injure the already torn side of Nairo's face. "Don't you dare mention that name, Patrick is dead, I am Scar!" and he stomped out.

The guard laughed, "There's no way they can stand up against the whole royal army, or the nations of lions that come to help them."

But Maggie was unconvinced, she had seen the power of both these Panthers and the Hyena's separate, she hated to see them like this.

It was noon the next day when the beaten and bloodied, and half alive scout arrived at pride rock. She was immediately taken into care, but she didn't make it, but her state told them all they needed to know, something was terribly wrong down south.

Jake had geared up to go and even mouthed his new crystal in the bag when Kovu stood in front of the cave entrance blocking my way.

"You'll want to get out of my way Kovu." He growled.

Kovu shook his head "You don't fight anymore Jacob, leave that for warriors."

Jake growled, ready to go through his father in law if he had to, "And _what, _am I suppose to do?!"

Kovu stood his ground, "You know the area more than anyone here, instead of going out bull headed and getting yourself killed, thus adding another sorrow to _my _daughter's heart, why don't you amass a group of warriors, and tell them what you know of the land."

The ravine hushed as Scar looked around him, a tuft of his main fell to the ground, he knew his time here was nearing its end and he had decided that no matter the end of this battle he had one goal and one goal alone, to kill Prince Jake and anyone else that got in his way. "It is time, amass your great forces, bring everyone into the pride lands, and head north, we will lead and head, and kill and destroy, and a new era where the Panthers rule in harmony with Hyena's will become, with me as king!" And thus the dark march north from the ravine started.

At the same time Jake had finished watching the army he had just amassed March off towards the ensuing battle, hoping he'd get to see those young men and women come back. Above them flew several birds, they would be the tellers of the battle.

It was passing midnight when rigger woke with a start, there was a commotion outside, allot of commotion. The guard was growling and looking every witch way. "Where surrounded," he announced, "I cant' tell who, I smell lions, and hyenas, and something I'm not familiar with." Just then a Spotted Panther leapt for the cave entrance and Rigger Pulled the guard back, just in time for another bigger lion to rip through the attacker. The lion nodded to the cave dwellers after licking his lips clean. "Stay inside."

After the initial attack the war started, lion upon panthers, Hyena's clearing the battle field if not using sneak attacks and packs to take down lions; it was a massacre on both sides. Several of the younger stronger males from the cave joined the fight, Rigger staid behind only because of his young daughter and the rest of the family he had to protect.

Then they started getting in, when the first panther came in the cave there was a massive uproar as the lionesses that had made there home here took him apart, but more started pouring in.

Zazu finished talking with one of his birds, "It's not looking good sires." He said to the king and prince, "They've met just at the midway caves, they say a few have made it inside the caves, the enemy that is. There's a full on battle and neither side is winning, but whatever happens inside those caves may change the tide of the battle.

Rigger stood fiercely protective over his daughter a lions head he had just decapitated dripping in his mouth. He spat it out and waited for anyone else that tried to get through, they had lost one lioness but everyone else had held on, the door way was littered with bodies of the panthers.

Outside the tide begin to turn, lions was taking down panthers even faster, the hyena's seemed to have fled in fear, birds chirped with amazement as the lions pushed the remaining Panthers back to the ravine.

The same lion that had saved the guard earlier entered the cave as the lions pushed past the guard. He eyed the slain lioness, and then everyone else. "Everyone else all right?" They all nodded, "I need to speak to the master of this cave."

Rigger stepped forward his young daughter prodding close behind. "I'm the leader of this group."

The warrior nodded to him, "What can you tell me of what happened here?"

Rigger shrugged, "I don't know, all I know is my wife and two other friends of ours left for the ravine days ago and never came back, after this I fear for there life."

The warrior nodded, "I will save whom I can, and I will make each pay for any lions they have slaughtered." He marched back out after the large line of lions that pushed towards the ravine.

On they way down they caught up with three lagging Panthers and brought them down, and finally less than half a day later, at the speed they where running, with the sun still bright, they arrived at the ravine. The lions amassed at the top of the hills, a number of panthers had joined up with what was left, and this would be easy pickings, the ravine now plaid to trap the panthers in its bowels.

Maggie awoke with a start to the sound of roaring, and as blood splattered the floor of there cave and a lifeless body of a Panther was thrown to the grounds entrance. A warrior entered through the cave, he eyed Maggie, "Are you Maggie?"

She nodded, and he eyed the others, the scout was glad to see his own kind, and Nairo's eye was shut with puss, his scars had become infected.

Maggie jumped to her feet, "Is it over?"

The warrior, blood splattered, nodded, "Yeah,"

"Did you get him!?"

He winced at her eagerness, "Who?"

"The lion leading them!"

Zazu brang the good news to the king and prince, the battle had been a quite short, though bloody, success, the Panthers had all been slaughtered at minimal causalities on their sides, and of the caves only two citizen deaths where to speak of, the death of Lien struck Jake a little hard.

"You ok?" Kovu comforted him.

He nodded, grinning, almost devilish, "I know at least that bastard went down with a fight to protect his friends. I've known lien for a long time though." He thought back to the days when him and lien would play as cubs in the ravine, "And I'll make sure there's some kind of commemoration built for him down their, for him and all the other lions that lost their lives protecting that home."

"Scar?" the warrior looked at Maggie curiously, "Can't be, he's dead."

She shook her head, "It's not the real Scar, but he believes he might be, and he has a vendetta against the prince."

The warrior ran out of the cave followed buy Maggie, but it appeared all the birds had gone off in celebration, "Crap, we gotta go, the only chance we have is making better time than this "Scar" does"

Scar climbed onto pride rock up the back when the moon had already started to rise, in the distance he spotted several warriors rushing his way, he cursed himself for leaving prisoners that knew of him alive.

He climbed in from the window and right above where the prince and his precious wife was sleeping, he tiptoed over him, and came around, first he'd kill the girl, and then the prince would die with his last thoughts being his loved one was dead. He opened his mouth wide; he'd have to do that quickly.

Suddenly he was picked up, there was the sound of chopping wet leaves as teeth bore into his neck and broke the muscle and blood began to flow from his mouth. Sara awoke with a scream as she saw this scraggly stranger gripped in her father's jaws, backing into and waking Jake, who immediately growled and jumped to his feet. "You bastard, what are you doing here?"

The dying lion scoffed at the prince hanging from the king's mouth, "I told you, we weren't done."

Warriors climbed into pride rock to witness the scene unfolding, Jake took his claw, and put out the lions eyes, who screamed in agony. "We are now." He nodded to Kovu, who snapped the ailing lion's neck in half, and threw him to the floor, nodding at his troops who dragged the dead lion off.

Kovu licked his lips, "Tasted like crap."

But Jake didn't hear him, he was deep in thought.

"Know him?" the king asked.

Jake nodded, "You know, I think my mercy just cost us the lives of over a hundred lions, and several of them where friends of mine." He sighed

Sara tried to comfort him, but he just pushed her away, "Don't, I feel dirty."

Kovu sat and looked at him, "It is your decision as king now on who gets mercy and doesn't, it is not always good not to show mercy, showing mercy shows that you can choose between the two, especially if you think the mercy if founded well."

Jake nodded, "But there all dead and it's…" he gritted his teeth and grinned in anger, "and it's all because I didn't kill that bastard when I had the chance."

Sara comforted him again and he allowed it this time as she rubbed up against him, "There's nothing you can do, something my grandfather taught all of us, something you must learn to accept if you are to become a truly great leader, is that you must put your past behind you."

Jake nodded, "and where did he get such wisdom?"

She smiled, "You know those other two grave sites below, those two where my grandfather's best friends and my mothers care takers, and they taught the best word you could ever know is Hakunna Matata."

He gave her a confused look, "What's that mean?"

She rubbed up against him again, "It means no worries."

The battle cleanup and survey was as gruesome as the battle themselves, the bodies of the enemies, including the new Scar's, where dumped in the elephant grave yard. The ravine was made into a guard post for the royal army for watching the southern plains. Jake attended the funereal of his dead friend and the lioness that also lost her life. He winced when he saw Nairo's meaty scarred right side of his face, he had no eye over there either. But he spent time with what was left of his best friends. That day the royal guard following him around included a new member, the large and fierce Devine who had grown popular on the force.

After buzzards and rouge hyena's picked up what the lions didn't get rid of after the battle it was as if it never happened, aside from the smell outside the midway cave, the smell of blood and death would need another flood to wash it away.


	9. Chapter 8

Ch8

Several months later Kovu was awoken buy his daughter, her eyes were that of worry yet joy, something he had seen once before but he couldn't remember where. She held her stomach, which he noted was extended, "Are you sick?" he mumbled sleepily.

"No dad, I think I'm…" she sobbed a little.

He popped out of his sleep startling his wife into a dreamy wake, "What are ya'll doing?"

Kovu felt his daughter's belly, and then listened, "Yes, yes it's just like." He looked to his wife.

Suddenly Kiara was full awake, shaking off her sleep, "Honey what's wrong?"

"Baby, I think our baby is pregnant!" Kovu was almost giddy.

At first Kiara was silent, her mouth agape, and then she squealed in delight that made the other two wince.

"Shh mom, you'll wake Jake up." Her mother went down and started feeling her belly as well.

"You're quite well along, you didn't notice your, well, you know, stopped?"

Kovu just turned his head to the side and coughed, faking ignorance, "I didn't even think of it mom."

Kovu was back in the conversation, "Wait, Jake doesn't know?"

"I just noticed myself!"

Kiara laughed, looking over to the sleeping lion who liked his spot buy the window, even if the morning was a grey one. "Well don't you think it good to tell him?" She asked

Sara shrugged, "I dunno how."

Kovu patted her shoulder, "Just tell him, nothing more, and no holding out or he'll think something's seriously gone wrong with you."

The commotion finally awoke Jake and he stretched and yawned, and the king and queen quietly made there way out of the room. He looked towards the grey skies outside for a minute, and then to Sara who had sat next to him, One paw almost protectively on her belly. "You ok?"

She let go of her belly and started playing with his mane, "I'm fine."

He sighed, looking her over, then back out the window "No offense but are you sure, your belly, it looks a little… ehem…larger than usual." And he waited for the claws; he had just called her fat.

But none came, instead she kept playing with his mane and gave him an answer he wasn't prepared for, "It's because, I'm pregnant."

All his breath escaped him, and when he was able to suck it all back in, he sat up quickly and looked gratefully into her eyes, he nuzzled her slowly at first but then passionate. "Are you serious, where pregnant?"

She laughed and returned the nuzzle, "Well I'm pregnant with _you're _baby if that's what you mean, you hardly have to carry it."

He laughed and put a paw around her shoulder, and one felt the underside of her belly, she guessed she'd get allot of that until everyone was used to the idea of her being pregnant. "No, but from here till it's born I'm going to be buy your side, waiting on you hand and foot."

She laughed and pushed him away, sticking her tongue out at him, "I've already got people that do that." She walked towards the exit of the room, "I gotta go tell my friends, you should do the same." He nodded, and watched her now oddly bigger shape exit the room, he wondered how much longer she had to go and how long she had been pregnant, while he guessed it was probably the first day, those hadn't been the only days after they had done that, he had no idea if the baby was nearing eight months or only nearing three.

He didn't waist time rushing to his old home, but when he got there it was as solemn as the grey day, the only one around was Maggie, her head and ears where as downcast as the mood. He entered carefully, not wanting to tread on bad ground. He confirmed no one he knew was around and popped his head back out.

"Maggie," he asked curious, his Mane beginning to blow as the wind started to pick up, "What's wrong? Where is everybody?"

She laughed, "Don't be so tense, everyone but myself are out hunting."

He laughed reassured, pushing a hand through his mane "Oh well, I caught the air of sorrow and hate, sorry, but seriously," his face grew as solemn as, "What's wrong?"

She looked away from him as he approached, "I'm, I'm pregnant."

His eyes brightened, "Whoa, really? I just came with the similar news, only its more my wife is pregnant and not I'm pregnant."

A small smile appeared on her lips, "I'm glad for you."

He nodded, grinning wildly "Yeah, ecstatic myself, so is Rigger the lucky man?"

She looked even more down than before, her ears sunk even further, she shook her head no.

He looked at her in wonder, "Than whom?"

She looked as if she was about to start crying, and Jake tried to make a list of anyone that'd maker her that upset, but it all came to one lion.

"No…" he said, his ears where folding back now,

She nodded, he had guessed.

Suddenly he was extremely pissed, at himself, and more so at the imposter Scar. "That bastard!" he growled pacing back and forth, "If he wasn't dead I'd kill him myself, how dare he!"

He heard Maggie sobbing, and he turned back to her, forgetting his anger, he walked over to her and nuzzled her, "Hey Maggie, don't cry, it'll be all right."

She shook her head and turned away, "No, I won't, he defiled me and now I'm carrying his child!?" She sobbed again, her paw covering her face as anger, embarrassment and worry flew through her system, making her feel sick. "Don't touch me; I wouldn't deserve to dirty your royal hands." She started away.

But he used his paw to draw her near, to hold her, "These hands are nothing royal, I'm nothing but an ordinary lion in and extremely weird situation. And listen to me, that baby, that child you are carrying is _not_ his, in fact he is dead and _he _doesn't matter anymore." He felt her belly, she was not showing much yet down there, "What he did to you was terrible but that child is yours, and you should raise it how you see fit. You should raise him with the father you want, do you know who you'd like to be its father."

She sniffed a little and shook her head yes, "Rigger, I've grown to love him, but…"

He eyed her, wondering if he was about to get pissed at his cousin, "But?"

"But he went off an hour ago not long after the hunters with his daughter after I told him, he has to concentrate what to do, he isn't more angry with me than he's just, well really confused." She sniffed again, at least she wasn't crying anymore, Jake thought.

"Listen, I know men, stay here and wait for him, wait for him to give you his verdict, and should he come out to be some kind of bastard and turn you away you'll always have a special welcome on pride rock, even if you aren't blood related. But I doubt that." There was a roar signaling the hunts finishing, "I gotta go tell the others, if you don't mind."

She smiled shaking her head "You're too good a friend, go on."

He bounded out towards the brush and met up with the group, Nairo was in lead, most of his fur on his scarred side of the face had grown back, but his eye was forever gone. "Jake," he laughed, shaking his head and faking a bow, "I mean your majesty, what brings you out here?"

Jake smiled at the majesty comment "Well just about the damn best news I could ever come to tell you all in person."

A lioness next to Nairo laughed, she seemed extremely close to him, "Kovu's died and you're now the king."

He drew back, she was a little scary, "Uh, no, even better."

Nairo laughed, "Better than you becoming king? Do tell."

Jake stood with the prideful stance he had been taught to use as a prince, "I'm going to be a daddy," then he broke down into his giddy and playful almost cub like self.

"Oh holy crap dude!" Nairo said, folding an arm around his old friend, "That's awesome, so do you think it's going to be a king or queen after you?"

He shook his head, "I dunno, I don't really have a clue."

Some of the other lions came up to them, a few where dragging carcasses of animals with them, the ones he knew where as surprised and joyful for their old leader as the first had been. But as he celebrated with his friends he sensed something was wrong, it didn't come from smell, sight, or sound, just a feeling.

Then he heard it, a whisper, calling his name, back to Pride rock, something was wrong, "Uh… listen I got to," Then he spotted Rigger, "I gotta go."

He bounded over to Rigger; while Pyre was playing in the grass with the bugs Rigger was fingering a trunk's dead branch.

"I heard the good news." Jake said stepping up to his old cousin.

Rigger batted the tree branch aside and it broke, pyre chased after it laughing, "If you heard the whole story you know it's anything but _good_ news." He growled, and then sighed at himself.

Jake shook his head as he sat watching the little lioness play, "No, I don't believe that, and I know somewhere in that bald head of yours neither do you."

"Yeah, so what do _I _do about it?" He picked up a rock and tossed it.

Swiftly Jake caught it, as Rigger looked at him the Prince's eyes where stern, cold, yet loving; he had seen that look once along time ago in his long dead father. "What you do is go back, you go back and you accept her, you go back and you do what you know is right." He dropped the rock.

He heard it again, a soft voice calling for him from pride rock, it was impossible but he knew it was so.

Rigger noticed the worried look in the prince's eyes as he looked north, and guessed he just wanted to be with his own girl, he mulled over his words and nodded his head. Standing he picked up Pyre who protested leaving her stick behind with a quite coo, "You're right, ill be seeing you." He started to saunter back towards the others.

"Yeah" Jake said mostly distracted, and bounded back towards the cave, worried for the safety of his family.

When he bounded into the cave the sun was a quarter past noon, and everyone was going on as normal, a group of lionesses surrounded Sara and where chatting excitedly, most likely about her new child. He took a long look around the cave, nothing seemed out of place.

"Something wrong boy?" Kovu asked coming around him, a bone in his mouth.

He shook his head, "I'm not…" Then it happened, a flash of light from the sleeping quarters and his name called within his head.

"What the hell was that?" Kovu asked dropping his snack, he had seen it to.

Both lions entered the sleeping quarters and first laid there eyes on the bag with the crystal in it; it shined as if on fire.

"Holy crap." Kovu exclaimed.

Just then Jake's mother came in the chamber, beaming, "Jake I heard the great news, I have a grandchild…" she stopped staring at the bag.

"Mom I want you to get every lion and lioness out of here as quickly as possible." He said back to her not moving.

She nodded and went to work, getting the group of girls and Sara out, to the ledge of pride rock.

He turned to the King, "You too sir."

"The hell not" Kovu protested. "I won't sit around and let my son in law get killed."

"Go!" Jake growled actually surprising Kovu into jumping, "It wants me and I don't think it will harm me, but there's not telling what will happen to others around me."

Kovu gave him a hurt but understanding look, "Fine, but if you get yourself killed I'll never forgive you for the pain it will cause Sara." He turned around and stalked off.

Jake pawed the bag and the stone tumbled out, it glowed just like it did that one fateful day, then he gripped it in his mouth and bit down.

At firs the world stumbled out of control, but then he was sitting, in the middle of a fiery waist land, and he immediately saw it was his future kingdom. Bones of lions and other pride animals littered the land as far as the eye could see, but on pride rock was an elderly lion with orange circles around his eyes, he looked at the land with sad contempt as fire spewed from the earth, and beside him was the dead body of a younger lion, circles around his eyes as well, an old scar down his muzzle, and something had torn at his throat, killing him.

The lionesses and lions that scattered pride rock's ledge where still excitedly chatting with the princess over her pregnancy, only Kovu looked concerned back towards the cave, and the princess came to her father, "Daddy? What is it?" One of the lionesses gasped as Jake came crawling out of the cave, his eyes where shut and he seemed to be in pain, Kovu had to hold his daughter back from helping him, he had no idea what was happening. When he opened his eyes they grew pure red and he spoke in a tongue that was not his own, Kovu noticed it was a language he had heard from humans from this land once a long time ago, he knew not what it meant.

Then jakes eyes cleared, he dropped the crystal which was no longer shining bright, and looked around, squinting in the dying day light, "What just happened?"

Sara came up to him, staring into his eyes which where there normal selves again, "What did you just see?"

Jake tried to talk about it, but found he was at a loss of words for it, "I, I guess I can't say"

Kovu looked at him, "Why not?"

Jake shrugged, "I just can't." But Jake looked worriedly, towards his wife, and down towards her belly, following his gaze Sara guessed what his vision was about and held her belly.

Later that night she lied next to him, both unable to sleep, the stone back in its bag and asleep for now. "Is it the baby?" She asked

"Kind of" he said scratching his head, "and more."

"Is it really bad?" she gripped at his sides wishing she had never picked up the stone in the first place.

He sighed, "It's not till far into the future, our baby will be grown to be a nice young… man… I think. But I have this feeling that in the future I will have to make a choice, and either he or I will die." He sighed.

She was quite for a while, then when he thought she had dozed off and he began to drift as well she came back, "What would you do?"

He laughed, as if the question was absurd, "I would give my life for that cub, but the question is not what I'd do but when I have to do it, what if I miss the chance, what if our son dies because of my ignorance?"

She nuzzled into his back, "I have faith in you, it's just a silly vision after all." She said beginning to fall asleep herself, his smile grew, and he loved his wife and her ways. Before she dozed she uttered a small giggle, drawing a weird look from Jake over his shoulder,

"What?"

"I just noticed you said we where going to have a boy." She smiled, and snorted into his back, getting a laugh out of him, but when he turned towards her she was already asleep.

He brushed a paw over her face, "I did, and he was as good looking as…me."

There was a snort from behind him; it was his mom, "Shuddap ma."

"Right mister big headed." She chuckled rolling around and trying to get comfortable for the night.

Back at the old cave, after the hunting group had gone asleep Maggie still waited outside, beginning to loose faith in Jake's words, when Rigger showed back up carrying his daughter, he stopped a little ways from her, and set down Pyre who was already sleeping soundly. They stared at each other for what seemed an eternity before Rigger rushed towards her and rubbed against her passionately. "I've been such a fool," he said, "you're the best thing that could have happened to me," he looked back at his daughter, "to us, and this baby," he caressed her belly which wasn't even showing yet, "This child will be mine and yours to bare, and Pyre will grow up with a little baby sibling to play with."

Megan smiled; a tear slid down her face as she there and then started to make love to her new mate for the fist time.

The next morning Sara woke up to empty arms, Jake was already up. She yawned and stretched and grimaced when she remembered she was carrying a full belly. Carefully she staggered to her feet and walked outside, outside on the ledge of pride rock near the entrance sat her husband, surveying the land with a sense of concern and pride.

"Well there mister I wanna be king, what's up?" she asked sitting next to and leaning on him, still half asleep.

He sighed, "The pride land, I know I can't tell you much, but it was pretty much gone in my vision."

"Gone? You mean destroyed, will saving our child save the land."

"I don't know," he said looking across the massive landscape again, "but I guarantee you I will do all I can in my power to protect this land, our child, and you." He looked towards the ground," but I have this bad feeling that something like the devil is coming, and hell is riding with him."

She laughed, "Listen, again, it's a silly vision, no reason to worry, anyway its way in the future, you said you where growing old, and you aren't even near that yet". She laughed, and she was right, the next five months where peaceful, until the day of the birthing.

As per royalty she had her baby amongst her family on the cliff of pride rock while thousands of animals watched from below. After his son had been born Jake had cleaned him, and his wife had cradled it and gave it a cleaning herself, lionesses where better at that kind of motherly work, the young boy cub had been born with a peculiar coloring, while he was mostly yellow, like his father, he had large orange circles around his eyes. Then with the Prince's permission Riki grabbed the wondering newborn up and held him up for the pride to see. And his father gazed at him he was filled with pride, with compassion, he saw his newborn son, the future king of the land, the ruler, and yet Riki knew more, Riki knew this newborn he had just christened, was to be the savior of the world one day. The kid began to cry, frightened buy all the noise below him, and the parents cuddle with each other as the King's Shaman, and Jake's friend, brang back their son who was still wailing unhappily.

The day after the ceremony it became a full job taking care of the child; it was near a new experience for Jake who had only taken care of his brother at a young age, and a completely new one for Sara. While Jake did his princely duties Sara spent most her day inside, or atop the cliff, when Jake was back he watched over the overly young cub. Watched and plaid with him, and eventually he planned to teach him push the rock, something the kids of pride rock apparently did not know.


	10. Chapter 9

Note: weep It's the end mates, the last albeit short chapter of this story, but DON'T WORRY there's a much longer sequel already on the way!

Ch 9:

The days turned into weeks, and the weeks turned into months, the months into a few years, three years after his son's birth, of whom they had named Tatter after his father, the one who started the trouble in Jake's life struck once more beyond the grave.

Sara came up to her husband one day, whom had been lazing around the cave, her eyes full of worry. "What's wrong my beautiful blue eyed baby?"

She looked over her shoulder, no one was around, "It's my father, I think he's sick."

Jake raised his head off the rock floor, trying to pear out towards the main chamber, he could hear Kovu, and he sounded fine to him. "How so?"

"Well he has allot of phlegm, he's coughing allot, and really hard, like a deep lung cough." She stared worriedly into her husbands eyes, he held his gaze with her.

Jake shrugged, "I'm sure it's just a chest cold, I mean Kovu's not young buy any means but I don't think it's his time any time soon."

Sara laid down next to him, looking back towards the main chamber at a phlegm filled cough, "If you say so."

Jake took her in his arms, "I'll keep an eye on him,"

But as he did, he did notice the king seemed to be getting worse, his dark eyes grew darker, his face begin to sag, his coughing grew worse and more frequent, no one knew exactly what was wrong with him, but everyone began to realize something was wrong with him. Jake began to follow Kovu around allot more, and while it was mostly to keep an eye on the king, the king still had allot to teach his young protégé.

One morning they where walking the kingdom for a monthly check, and as they passed up the ruins of Jake's first home, now overgrown buy vegetation and full of animal life, Jake looked at it thoughtfully at it, as Kovu went on. "The most important thing to remember," He said in a week scratchy voice, "Is the circle of life."

Jake looked back, "The what?"

Kovu did something that may have been a cough or may have been a laugh, "I never taught you that? How strange. The circle of life, it's what rules the land, you may hold contempt for your enemies, or not care for your food, or the land, but it is imperative you remember we are all in the circle of life. The antelope, our food, eat the grass, we eat them for food, and one day we return to the earth one way or another to feed the grass, in truth there is no "top" of the food chain."

They spent the whole day walking the outline of the pride lands; finally Kovu sought some shelter during noon buy the tree where Jake had once gotten married during what seemed like so long ago. "I have to tell you, out of all the lions I could have chosen for my replacement, I think you're the best, I know you and Sara, and you yourself, have been through some hard trials, but you are perfect for the part." He settled down, "Yes I couldn't, I couldn't have chosen a better King." And he sighed deeply.

Jake sat there for a while until he was sure the man had talked himself to sleep, then took a look at the tree behind the king. The tree had grown allot since the day they wed, despite it only being a few years ago, it now reached far into the sky and was as wide as a lion. When he was sure enough time passed, he nudged Kovu. At first Kovu didn't even respond, he just lay there loose, almost…

Jake nudged him again harder and tugged on the old man's ear, "Not today you old fool, you're not even old enough to die on us yet." Finally the king stirred and looked around a little confused. Jake laughed, "Good, I'm not quite ready to become king yet."

But every night, every week, he saw his father in law get sicker, between that, and the nightmares that now took the place of his visions as the rock turned deadly silent, Jake had allot on his hands. A year later, during Tatter's birthday, Mattie was playing with him, and Jake was watching, when the sickly Kovu came through, and that's when it hit Jake.

Kovu had a balding mane that had started to fall out a month ago, as did he have a few sore spots on his rump. Jake realized now where the old guy had gotten it, several years ago when Kovu had saved his life from the ailing Scar wanabee; he had somehow contracted that same disease. And now this graying and ailing old man, was another fault of his to carry.

Kovu sat at the entrance staring out to his pride land, he couldn't remember if he had taken his replacement on the tour yet, he couldn't remember much these days, he swore his predecessor was allot better up to his dying days. He was surprised when Jake sat down next to him and rubbed up against his mane.

"What's wrong Jake?" he asked.

"I'm sorry; everything turns out to be my fault, all of it."

Kovu looked at him, confused, "What's your fault?"

Jake looked down at his paws, "Everything that is wrong with this land, it seems." he somberly walked down off of pride rock with Kovu hot on his tail.

They sat near a large river in between his first house and pride rock. "I remember how this was made, I remember the day you climbed up that very tree," he said pointing to the now aging tree. "and carried me across, when you could do it."

Kovu laughed and then spat, "Yeah I remember when I could carry you too, you where like ten or so pounds back then, now it's a bit of trouble."

"I'm sorry for all of this," Jake began to cry, his tears creating ripples in the river that where carried downstream.

"Hey now, what's all this? What are you so sorry for?"

Jake sobbed, "For killing you."

At first Kovu tensed, expecting an estranged coup of some kind, but when Jake didn't move he eyed him closely. "What are you talking about?"

"Just look at you," Jake said sniffing and looking back at the elder king.

"Oh come on, everyone ages…"

"But not everyone becomes sick! And it's all my fault!" he started to cry again.

"Whoa, hold on, how can you say that?"

"Because it is true, its all my fault, so many things just led up to you dying in the end in this horrible death, I met your daughter and fell in love, I pissed off an sick lion and got kicked from my family and created my own, I married your daughter and brang that sick enemy with me, and you, you sunk your fangs into him just to save my worthless life. It's my fault!"

Kovu touched his balding mane, understanding at last what was eating the kid, then he got closer to the kid then he had been in ages aside from this morning. He rubbed against him, the way a loving father would, putting an arm around the young man. "Listen kid, you've had your troubles, but this is in no way your responsibility. What jerks or assholes did to us, we are innocent about, we did what we thought was right, you saved a young girl from that jerk. He may have gotten one last bit out of us as he slowly takes a large chunk out of my time, but I'm buy no means near dead yet, and buy god when I die I will _not _have you blaming yourself for it, I've lived a full life, a meaningful life, and a great life as king, and it is just time for me to move on soon, that is all."

Jake tried to smile but failed, just shuddering at a sob again.

When they re-entered the cave he had regained his composure, there where quite a few people visiting for his son's birthday, Pyre who was know learning to talk a little, and her little sister who was just a few years younger than Tatter, and some of the old families he had once lived in. He guessed he'd never stop blaming himself for killing Sara's father, but he'd go on.

And thus it came he was one of the three lions that took the mourning of the passed king the hardest, though the whole pride felt it, it was really before his time. It was two years after the speech buy the river, and he had grown sicker. One night he called them all over to his side, he had gone blind, and knew it was his time that night, outside the cave lightning flickered, it seemed a storm passed every time an important person close to Jake did as well. He gave his blessings to Jake and his daughter, and in the last moments both his wife and his daughter nuzzled with him till his last breath was comfortably spent. And at that all three lions roared in anguish and started to cry, so that pride rock awoke, and learned what had happened.

That morning it was a clear yet wet morning, that morning Riki crowned and blessed the new King and Queen of pride rock as their mothers watched on with pride. And while less than four hours later, Jake forgot about mourning the king, his friend, for one moment, and with his wife looked about the pride land, he was now the king.

And our story of our lion cub who grew up to be an unlikely king comes to an end, but do not worry, for it is just the end of his story, there are many more stories in this pride lands, after all, tomorrow dawns a new story.


End file.
